


Just A Silly Fairytale

by vmdraco



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: BBC, Disney, Disney's Cinderella, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Gen, My First AO3 Post, Romance, Rose and the Doctor - Freeform, The Stuff of Legends, doctor who - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-13 01:22:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 38,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7132406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vmdraco/pseuds/vmdraco
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor crash-lands into a universe that resembles the story of Cinderella, with his companion Rose being the girl who wears the glass slippers. With no memory of him or their friendship, can he get her back, and survive against an unknown enemy? 10/Rose, takes place during Series 2; NOT A CROSSOVER</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys! I've been writing fanfic for a while but I never got an a03 account until now, so I thought I might post my most popular fic from ff.net here. This story has been revised a lot, though the bulk of it has remained the same for years. It is incomplete but after years of hiatus I decided to try and finish it before the end of the summer. So here's the first 9 chapters completed.

The sun lit up the tower at dawn, eliciting the young woman in her cool, dark room to sit up from her bed. She knew that if she decided to oversleep her family would punish her by taking what little she had away. Her brown eyes opened as she stretched, yawning and rubbing her face to rid it of sleep. She usually didn’t sleep well; she was constantly dreaming. The majority weren’t dreams filled with pleasures—mostly nightmares, but some ended on an optimistic note. She grasped those for dear life every day.

She sometimes dreamt of being with a husband in a lovely cottage in the forest away from her so-called family, and others plagued her with monsters and darkness and the unknown. Yet the dreams she kept reliving recently were stranger than anything she could ever wish for. There were bright lights and stars, and so many beautiful colors to intersect her subconscious. It filled her with joy, because it made waking up to another morning in her family’s house a little more tolerable. The previous night she dreamt of something else entirely… something that not only consisted of stars and colors.

The young maiden considered the man she could only recognize by the long brown coat and chocolate hair; she considered that it might have been her dead father, since she couldn’t remember his face from the visions in her dream, but she pushed the thought of that aside. Knowing that he wasn’t coming back haunted her all the time. She missed him more than anything.

Pulling her blonde hair into a bun, the young girl slowly got dressed and preceded to clean herself up. Even though she remained in the house for the day, she applied just a bit of makeup, just enough to give her some sort of pride. If she applied anything more to accentuate your natural beauty, then her sisters would forcefully wash it off with water and soap, leaving her eyes as red as though she had cried all night long.

A few hours passed before most of the household tasks were finished, as she was expected to complete. The dishes were cleaned, clothes were washed, the floors were swept, and every other chore imaginable was done before her family woke up. She walked outside in the back yard where the horses neighed for oats, poking their heads out of the stalls to greet their caregiver. “Morning, ladies and gents,” she said with a small smile.

Pulling a strand of blonde hair away from her face, the young woman brought out the food, hay, and brushes to begin her daily routine. As sad as it was to think it, she knew that the horses were the only creatures that she felt actually listened to her. Not only that, but she enjoyed their company. Their docile behavior wouldn’t allow such cruelty.

“He was a slender-looking bloke,” she said, brushing her favorite mare’s white coat. “And his hair was just… I don’t know. It was sticking up as though it were thorns in a rosebush... yet it looked so soft to the touch. But was struck me the most were those eyes… They were an earthy, lovely shade of brown, almost like hazel nuts. I couldn’t make out much of his face, but by the look of those eyes… I found myself getting lost in them as though I knew him somehow. Of all the things to dream of, I think of this strange man I don’t even know. Maybe I know him?”

The mare tilted her head towards her caregiver, almost as though she were expecting to be petted. Of course, the human girl obliged. “Aw, what would you know about dreams like that, eh?” she said jocularly. “Horses like you are born with the freedom to prance in the meadows. Why have dreams when life is so carefree?”

A shout from the second floor of her home interrupted her giddy thoughts. “CINDERELLA!”

She could only sigh and shrug. “I’m coming!” She finished brushing down the mare and rushed back to the house, awaiting the orders of her family member.

* * *

 The Doctor awoke groggily, his head aching and body moaning in agony. All he could think about was the state of the TARDIS. She was hurt badly, but it was nothing she couldn’t repair over time. A thin layer of smoke blanketed the air, with a few small fires eating away at the ground. Everything was in disarray: books, old technological devices, assorted items from alien worlds, emergency supplies that ejected during the crash, and several other things that the Doctor didn’t want to clean up. He sighed at the damage and mess that had been made.

He wanted to let Rose experience the beautiful sight of her solar system’s sun up close, like she did in his 9th regeneration… only without the thought of her planet being destroyed. That and Rose was intrigued about the opportunity, since she never got to appreciate the sun’s beauty at such an angle. The expression in her voice upon seeing the sun for the first time without the thought of danger made him smile:

_“Wow…”_

_“Amazing, isn’t it?”_

_“I… I couldn’t even imagine, let alone appreciate, the sun looking anythin’ like this. All I see is a big yellow circle in the sky all the time… an’ to think that this is what I’ve been missin’. Is this what most stars look like up close, Doctor?”_

_“Oh, yes… most stars shine as bright or brighter; but this one is especially beautiful, and possibly the most beautiful star I’ve ever seen.”_

_“… And why is that?”_

_“Because people like you get to see it everyday. That, to me, makes it special.”_

He never thought that a solar storm could disrupt them so suddenly, because before he knew it, a tendril of the star’s massive power and heat hit the TARDIS. Solar storms were hard to predict, but even so he mentally kicked himself for not putting up better shields in case of such an event. Regardless, he had more important things to worry about.

“Ow, my head…” he complained, rubbing a possible bruise near his forehead as he checked himself for other injuries. No broken bones, every limb in place, two eyes, two ears, one mouth, one nose. Everything was in order. But then he realized that he was alone. “Rose? Rose, are you okay?” He didn’t receive an answer. He quickly stood up while gingerly stepping over a damaged pile of metal, scanning the control panel and area around him for any sign of his companion. “Rose? Rose, where are you?” Again there was no answer.

The Doctor felt himself panicking. He wouldn’t forgive himself if Rose was dead or missing, and no matter how hard he searched there was no sign of her anywhere. “Rose!” He kept calling her name despite knowing that she was gone, and instantly his instincts told him that she was in danger. “Oh, Rose, please don’t be hurt…”

He knew the TARDIS crashed someplace, and he remembered that he managed to steer her towards the Earth. The only question was _where_ and _when_ he was. He hoped that by doing that, he could track Rose down and get her safely back to the TARDIS. He checked his monitors, and instantly the scene outside the safety of his spaceship appeared much more foreign than what he had hoped.   

17th-century France (or what looked like 17th-century France) filled his screen judging by the architecture and clothing, and in the distance he could see a tall, elegant castle. It all seemed eerily familiar to him, as though he had seen it someplace before. That wasn’t a new concept to the Doctor, a 900-something year old alien who had seen more than anyone, to forget where he had been before once and a while. The landing place of his TARDIS in which he crashed looked to be in a high-class neighborhood, and despite the sewage it was well kept with horse-drawn carriages carrying wealthy-looking people.

“Now how did you manage to get me here...?” he said to himself, his question directed at the TARDIS. The TARDIS gave a sad warble, obviously in pain from the solar storm. “You’re sensing a disturbance in the chameleon arc? Did something tamper with it?” The TARDIS gave a groan, a few sparks flying out from the ceiling and from the other side of the control panel, and he sighed, feeling defeated and lost. She was in no condition to answer his questions. “Oh… what am I going to do with you?” Stroking his ship for a brief moment, he cleaned himself off and felt it necessary to at least check the chameleon arc on the TARDIS’s word and figure out where Rose was… if she was anywhere in that particular time period at all, that is.

He trudged over to the chameleon arch, which hung at eye level looking broken. He whipped out his sonic screwdriver to at least do some kind of repair. Immediately he considered the possibility that it had malfunctioned judging by the wires and its electrical guts spilling from all sides. Solar storms can mess with technology in damaging ways, and he cursed at having to find rare parts to fix it once his TARDIS recuperated. But he noticed something else: DNA samples. Blonde strands of hair were entangled in a few parts of the device. The Doctor’s eyes flew open in sudden realization and shock. He knew what had happened to her.

Not only did he come to the realization that she was a completely different person, but was somehow in the world in which he found himself stranded. He dislodged a few stray hairs from the arch, and followed a few that floated to the floor.

Miraculously, and suspiciously, _Disney’s Cinderella_ lay almost unharmed in its DVD case at his feet. Lifting an eyebrow, he picked it up, wondering what it was doing there. Then he remembered.

The previous night he and Rose—mostly Rose—wanted to watch a film that they hadn’t seen in a while, and she begged for a princess film. And of course he kept _Disney’s Cinderella_ in his endless movie collection, which she agreed to watching despite him not being as enthusiastic. And there they sat for two hours as Rose grew weary, until eventually they drifted back into the control room to park the TARDIS near the Earth’s gravitational pull. Rose might have forgotten to put the DVD away, hence why it was found in the rubble.

He stopped his thought process, suddenly struck with an impossible idea. “No… no way. That’s not—”

He rushed back to the console, looking at the monitor showcasing the castle in all its glory.

His traitorous mind answered correctly: it was Cinderella’s castle.  

* * *

 “You stupid wench, grab my laundry from my bedroom! And be quick about it!”

“Mine, too! God, Cinderella, how could you be so forgetful this morning?”

“Figures. You’re such a miserable failure!”

“Forever and always—stuck in a house doing nothing but chores and cleaning up shite after dumb animals!”

Cinderella could only listen as her stepsisters made fun of her and belittled every ounce of her being. It was nothing new in the life of a maid in her home, so she tried to block them out. She learned long ago that arguing back did nothing but upset her stepmother, since she only came in time to see her yelling in her defense, which equaled punishment. She kept quiet and picked up the clothes from the sisters’ bedrooms.

One of her stepsisters peered her head inside the bedroom she was in and added, “Oh, and grab our bed sheets as well!” Cinderella obeyed, as much as she didn’t want to. The possibility of her getting thrown out of the only roof over her head was an option, and despite wanting to get out of the house she didn’t want to risk not having any shelter. She recalled attempting a few times when she was little, yet they always found her. Always.

Sometime later after breakfast flew by and the new load of laundry was washed, Cinderella felt the presence of Drizella, one of her stepsisters, behind her while she was tidying up the kitchen and putting dirty dishes in the sink. She turned her senses off and put all of her focus on the chores she had done so monotonously for her entire life.

“Talking to horses again, Cinderella?” Cinderella felt her face flush and side-eyed her stepsister curiously. “I heard you out there, since you fail to be quiet while we sleep. I heard something about a man…” She appeared interested in Cinderella’s daily thoughts, despite the torture she received. Cinderella tried to dumb down any kind of significance her sister could get out of her dream.

“It was nothing, Drizella. I just had a strange dream the other night.”

Drizella shook her head with a smug grin. “Talking to horses about dreams regarding men that are way too good for a lowlife like you… What a sad existence you lead.” She turned to walk away. “Though I do admit, that man you dreamt about sounds like such a gent. When you meet him, tell him to look _my_ way, not that I would have to ask!” Drizella went away with a laugh, leaving Cinderella to smirk at the idea that her pampered, stuck-up stepsister would even dream of attracting a man with an attitude as atrocious as hers. Unconditionally she loved her, but she knew that she wasn’t a lady of choice for a lot of men. She knew that by the sea of suitors that had been forced to come by the house, flirting with her rather than the women that invited them. While she always felt flattered by their advances and would have loved to leave with one of them, she was locked inside her bedroom as punishment for even looking in a man’s direction. Her stepmother watched her movements like a hawk after a rabbit. No matter what she did she never got the chance to protest.

Drizella did have a point, however. If the man she dreamt of ever existed, looking in her direction wouldn’t be such a bad idea. She remained strong, though, and tried to be optimistic despite everyone telling her that she wasn’t anyone special or worthy of anyone’s attention. After a while, though, when she felt especially low… she found herself believing their lies.

* * *

“You’ve _got_ to be kidding me.” He threw the DVD back down and ruffled his hair, making it stand up in all directions as he continued to think in a manic frenzy. It was mad, and silly, yet there it was: Cinderella’s castle, sitting outside like it existed all along and he couldn’t understand how it was transferred through… the chameleon arch? That couldn’t be right, he thought. The chameleon arch couldn’t just transfer information from a DVD to real life.

The TARDIS warbled again, sounding a bit better yet still worse for wear. “Hmm, that’s a good possibility, old girl. We did watch the film recently, and her recent memoires of it might have influenced the arch’s ability to tamper into your files and transport us into the correct time period…” One problem: Cinderella was fiction. 17th century France was much more complicated than what he saw outside (he’s been there, after all), so he couldn’t understand why or how the arch would have decided Rose’s fate in that way.

The Doctor growled, hating that he couldn’t explain what and how it had happened to her and hating that he was wasting valuable time doing so instead of finding his companion.

He sighed, looking up at the ceiling in confusion. “Rose, where in god’s name could you _be_?”


	2. Chapter 2

Before the Doctor knew what hit him, the earth began to shake violently. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it soon faded out into the late morning of this impossible world he found himself on. The people nearby looked slightly startled but unharmed, and soon carried on. The Doctor nearly fell over at the strong tremor, standing back up inside the TARDIS as he made his way out the doors.

“Holy–” the Doctor proclaimed, noticing a large, looming crack that had formed just in front of the TARDIS doors, almost as though an earthquake made its way into town. Confused, the Doctor bent down to examine it, picking up a few particles of soil from inside the crack and rolled it around on his tongue. “How odd…” he mused. “Tastes strange; nothing like Earth metals.” He crossed off Earth as the environment’s origin.

Mentally he decided to leave the TARDIS where she was to recuperate. There was no need for him to tinker when other damages needed to be fixed on their own over time. After a day or two he would decide to get started renovating. At the moment, however, he knew the TARDIS needed some time to rest and regain her strength.

“There must be a marketplace somewhere around here…” He looked back at his ship, giving her a sad look. “Get well, old girl. I’ll bring Rose back... and hopefully very soon.” He started walking away, stepping over the crack in the process. “And by the way,” he added, “put that DVD back where it’s suppose to.” He felt a kind hum from his ship, and his hearts warmed at his sentient ship as he sent kind messages back to her.

Before long he managed to find his way around town after asking a few kind gentlemen. Others gave him judgmental sneers and questionable looks based on his attire, but as usual the Doctor ignored their glances and focused on asking where Cinderella’s home was located. If anything it was a good place to start. The Doctor wondered if Rose ended up being Cinderella herself, and knew that it was a possibility. The TARDIS did her best in such circumstances, despite the mysterious ways in which the chameleon arch reacted.

He didn’t hesitate to absorb himself in the atmosphere of the busy marketplace: smelling the air, noting his surroundings, memorizing people’s faces. The hustle and bustle was palpable as he made his way around other people to reach the stands selling goods and articles of clothing. He approached a random booth selling some bread and other pastries and asked cheerfully, “Hello, there, good man! I’m kind of new in town. I’m wondering where I can find the… um… Tremaine residence?” Mentally he kicked himself for not remembering the name of the stepmother at the top of his head. He wasn’t paying attention too much if he was honest with himself, simply because he kept focusing on Rose being so close to him, laying her head against his shoulder...

_Now is not the time to think about that, Doctor. Focus you old fool._

“Sorry, sir, I’m not familiar with the name,” said the man behind the stand. He picked up a loaf of bread, staring at it for a moment and then extended his arm across towards the Doctor. “But I do have bread.”

The Doctor could only stare and blink. “So you do.” _Not the handiest tool in the shed, is he?_

Before he could respond further or make a comment regarding the man’s intelligence (which he knew would make Rose slap him silly, which he loved seeing since it irritated her), he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned his head to meet a certain someone he recognized almost instantly.

“Hello, sir,” said the redheaded woman, giving him a big smile and holding out her hand for him to take. He could only stare bewilderedly for a moment, but soon came to his senses before reluctantly kissing her hand in appeasement. She giggled in response, her cheeks flushing. “I heard you talking about the estate you were searching for. I happen to live there.”

“Oh, really? Brilliant!” he said, grinning. He went about her vague biography in his mind: Anastasia, one of the ‘evil’ ugly stepsisters of Cinderella, and in the Disney version had little to nothing to offer in terms of physical or mental beauty. Even though her character was written to be ugly, he personally never considered the stepsisters to be very grotesque looking at all. Even in the real life impersonation he was greeting, she wasn’t as ugly as they were often described. Anastasia, as he could tell, looked like any average woman, though he had the gut feeling that she was more unattractive on the inside than on the outside. “I was curious about the estate, mainly because I’ve heard so much about it... as well as the people living there.”

“Really?” she asked, her eyes widening. “Why would a handsome gent like yourself have any interest in our little house?” Her eyelashes fluttered for good measure, determined to charm him.

The Doctor gave a sly smile, trying to look like a proud and honorable individual, almost as though he were royalty, as he tried ignoring the uncomfortable flirtatious remarks. “I’m known as the Grand Duke of London, and I’ve been interested in some of the estates located in the center of town. I’m interested in inspecting some of them, yours included.”

Anastasia’s eyes drifted along the Doctor’s body, examining him. “Your clothing certainly is peculiar.” She touched the fabric of his pinstriped jacket, making the Doctor stiffen. “Typical of London; the fashion always seems to be changing there, doesn’t it?”

“Wellll, you know… We like to keep an open mind.”

She giggled some more, as if what he said was the most hilarious joke she’d ever heard. The Doctor tugged at his ear, really hating the attention for once. “Well, then, _Grand Duke of London_ , follow me and I’ll show you the way…” Anastasia raked her eyes over him before meeting his gaze again as a sign to follow her, and despite the Doctor trying to be polite she couldn’t seem to stray too far from his side.

“So…” said Anastasia, locking her arm into his as she walked with him. “What name do you go by, other than the Grand Duke of London of course?”

“I go by the ever-so-wonderful John Smith.”

“What? Certainly a fine gentleman like yourself would have such a more interesting name than that!”

“Nope. Sorry, it’s just John Smith.” He laughed to himself. _This is just too easy! I didn’t even have to flash my psychic paper in order to prove myself! Rose Tyler, here I come!_

* * *

“CINDERELLA!”

The yell of her stepmother made her jump, even if it was the tenth time that she heard her name that day. Immediately she went over the chores she did in her head, and tried to figure out if she missed something. Regardless, she knew no matter what she did there was always something else that she did wrong. If she were honest with herself it was probably because they just enjoyed her suffering. She dropped the broom she was using to sweep the stairs and stood to Lady Tremaine’s attention.

“Those dirty dishes are still left in the sink from early this morning! Goodness, child, what is it with you today?”

Cinderella most definitely wanted to fight back with a remark, but held her tongue. Last time she did she was slapped so hard it left bruises. She put on a brave face and a gentle tone of voice. “My apologies. I was trying to get to other small tasks in need of greater attention first.” She made sure to avoid her stepmother’s eyes. 

“Well, next time do the dishes first! We need them for lunch, you know.” Lady Tremaine noticed how distracted Cinderella looked, and decided to comment. “Is there something on your mind lately?”

“Oh, no, not really,” Cinderella lied, mostly because she wasn’t willing to tell her stepmother about any personal information for her own sake. Holding onto the dream she had got her through the day. “I’m just very tired.”

Lady Tremaine’s eyes were stone cold. “Well, expect it, dear, because it’s always going to be that way. Remember that you’re the maid in this house and you have responsibilities to attend to. Being tired is no excuse for those chores to be unfinished. This is large house that requires you to be on top of it at every turn.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Cinderella replied sullenly. “I understand.”

“Good. Now, hop to it! I want them done before Anastasia returns from her shopping trip.”

Drizella immediately chimed into the conversation upon looking out the window, smiling mischievously. “Talk about a successful shopping trip…”

Lady Tremaine glanced out the same window, and seemed pleased at the sight. “Let’s hope this time a meeting with him will be successful.”

Cinderella listened quietly at the situation, and knew by the sound of their voices that Anastasia had brought home yet another presumably wealthy suitor for either her or Drizella to marry. She knew she was going to be told to do something else rather than meet a guest, but decided to stay regardless. Honestly she was curious every time they brought home another man. That and she hated having to retreat every time her sisters barked at her. For once she stood her ground.

“You know the rules, Cinderella,” snapped Drizella. “Get out of sight!”

Cinderella protested, “Stepmother told me to finish the chores before Anastasia comes home, and that’s what I’m bent on doing.”

“Ugh, mother! For once can she forget about those daft old chores and get out before Anastasia walks through the door?”

Lady Tremaine noticed the insecurity radiating from her daughter’s tone, and thought it would be best to get Cinderella away from another suitor who would distract him from what she wanted him to notice. She obliged Drizella with a nod, making the black-haired woman smile triumphantly at Cinderella. At this, Cinderella knew she was defeated.

“You heard her, Cinderella,” said her stepmother. “Best be getting to the sewing upstairs and leave the sweeping to be dealt with at another time.”

Sighing, Cinderella put the broom away and grumbled to herself as she made her way up the stairs. “If you hate me so much, then just kill me already you materialistic old bi–”

“Did you say something, dear?” asked Lady Tremaine.

“Not a word, ma’am,” said Cinderella, showing the best smile she could muster and hurried herself away from the situation. However, she didn’t stray too far. She let herself peek across the hall in order to get a glimpse at the door. Small little rebellions like this kept her sane.

Soon enough, Anastasia was bounding in, the Doctor in arm, who was looking quite tired and irritated at the clingy redhead beside him. “Mother! Mother, I met this lovely man out in town today! John Smith here says he’s the Grand Duke of London, and he was interested in viewing our property!”

“Well…” Lady Tremaine said, her voice like velvet. “What a pleasant surprise. Please come in, Your Grace. Though, I’ve never heard of a Duke of London coming around here before.”

The Doctor couldn’t find himself concentrating on the conversation. His mind kept trying to scan the house for any sign of Rose. He almost did a double take when he spotted her past the stairs towards the upstairs bedrooms, but he couldn’t get to her with the antagonists right in front of him, questioning his every move. He was right! She was Cinderella all this time. The TARDIS did her job.

_Thank god it wasn’t a stepsister._

He recovered quickly, and as always was quick to think of a few lies. “Oh! Well, um, London was personally… um… interested in a few of the properties around France, mainly because of its exquisite architecture and use of decoration. I mean, look at these marble floors!” He walked towards the base of a pillar, pretending to observe the marble and admire it. He glanced upward, seeing his companion peeking behind the corner. He couldn’t help but smile at her, relieved that she was safe and hopefully not harmed by the other women in the household.

Cinderella noticed that the Doctor saw her, feeling his eyes bare her down, and almost instantly she backed away slightly down the hall. _Why does he keep looking at me?_

“Mother, he said that he was searching for this house in particular,” said Anastasia.

“Is that so?” said Lady Tremaine.

The Doctor felt his shoulders fall at how Rose—Cinderella—responded to him. He couldn’t think much longer, for the other women were asking him questions like mad and he disliked it greatly. Nothing came easy to him, and he knew that by now.

“Yes, it is indeed, Miss!” he responded, walking back over to the women, much to his disdain. “I heard a lot of lovely things about it back in London. There have been several other visitors to this town and they really enjoyed what it had to offer.”

“Is this for any particular purpose?” asked Anastasia, her eyes star-struck.

“Well… London, uh, wants to plan on using a few of the building plans for these houses to build back in London. We need permission from the architects and court, of course, but before I would pop in there I was going to check out a few things around town.” He looked about the estate, mostly back at the upstairs bedroom where Cinderella had hidden, and he found her still peeking behind the corner again. Like before, she disappeared once he met her eyes.

Suddenly, from out of the blue, another large earth tremor erupted, causing the house to shake. Upstairs, Cinderella tried desperately to keep picture frames from falling off the wall. Everyone had trouble keeping their balance before the stepsisters fell to the ground, their dresses making it hard for them to get back up. Near the pillar, a large crack at the base formed, making the Doctor stare at its sudden appearance, noticing a sudden pattern.

_There is definitely something strange going on in this universe…_

Shortly after the tremor ended, the crack that had formed at the base of the pillar continued on its way up, making the crack even more noticeable.

“My goodness!” said Lady Tremaine. “What is it with all of these earthquakes?”

“I’m just as clueless as you are,” said the Doctor, getting himself off the ground.

“Cinderella!” barked Drizella, not caring about her being seen anymore. “You’d better clean up the rubble in here or the Grand Duke of London will end up leaving!”

The Doctor rolled his eyes at the annoying harlots, but suddenly became more attentive, wanting to get a good look at his companion and hoping that she wasn’t going to run away again. Cinderella, despite not wanting to come out, walked down the stairs and stared at the crack, shocked and surprised.

Like the classic fairytale always described, the Doctor could see Rose’s beauty in the rags she wore (though if he was honest with himself she would look beautiful in a paper bag). She wore a simple, pastel blue apron with a long brown and white dress, her blonde hair tied loosely in a bun as a few strands dangled in front of her face and behind her ears. She was nearly devoid of any makeup, and the Doctor wished she wore a smile. Even then, he could feel his hearts flutter at the knowledge that she was in front of him, alive, though unfortunately unhappy and looking flighty at the sound of her sisters.

Lady Tremaine immediately butted in. “Girls, why don’t you go into the kitchen with the Duke and make him a cup of tea? I’m sure he’s very tired from his trip from London.”

The Doctor tried to get his way out of it, but the sisters excitedly led him to the kitchen where he was forced to remain until they would finish. The sisters knew what would go down, and didn’t want guests to view their mother’s wrath when it came to disciplining Cinderella. The Doctor could only look back as his companion stood there, looking fearful and acting so little like the Rose he knew. It tore him to pieces as feelings of anger came over him.

Drizella walked past and followed Anastasia into the kitchen, eyeing the Doctor with a coy gaze, brushing her hand close to his bum and thigh. Jumpy at the sudden contact, the Doctor tried his best not to blow his cover by screaming out as many insults in every language he knew at the idea of being touched so intimately. He struggled to keep his mouth shut, mainly because he felt very violated.

_These girls are worse than horny teenagers._

Despite having to remain in the kitchen and seethe, he was able to peek and hear around the corner. What he saw and heard made his blood boil in anger.

“Cinderella, I order you to fix this gigantic crack immediately! I cannot let other guests come into the house and see how atrocious this looks in a home like ours! It is simply not allowed!”

Cinderella looked dumbstruck. “But… I don’t have the tools to fix this crack! We might have to get a professional in here to replace the pillar. And besides, I don’t know how to–”

“Do not give me excuses like that, you lazy chav. You and I both know you’re just saying that so you don’t have to fix something that is required of you. I don’t know what caused this earthquake, but no matter the case I want it covered up! You will do as I say, is that clear?”

“But–”

Lady Tremaine slapped her, the sound echoing in the enormous entranceway, making the Doctor look away in shock. He instantly felt nauseated, resisting the urge to interfere.

“Do _not_ talk back to me!”

He glanced back to see that Cinderella was now cowering near the staircase railing, a bit stunned but otherwise not looking surprised. The Doctor wished he could just fix everything up right away and stop the abuse, but he knew that he could risk danger upon both Rose and himself. He had a bad feeling about the people there… and the sensation that they weren’t really human at all. Their behavior was strange, the fellow at the marketplace that was selling bread a particular example of his suspicions. The women in the house seemed cruel yet human, but he had to be careful. He had to dupe them accordingly or else he could be up against something he wouldn’t be prepared for.

He couldn’t interpret the rest of what the stepmother said to Cinderella, since their voices got quieter, but he watched helplessly as Cinderella went back upstairs with tentative steps, almost as if she was afraid that Lady Tremaine would stab her from behind.

“Your Grace? Your Grace?”

The Doctor looked back at the stepsisters and tried not to glare at them, noticing that they finished making his tea. “Yes?” he voiced through gritted teeth.

“Um… your tea is ready,” replied Anastasia, “and why are your knuckles white?”

The Doctor looked at his hands to see that they were aggressively gripping the table. He let himself cool down and let go, coming back with, “Oh, no reason. Thank you.” He took a sip of his tea, eyeing their cups and wishing he spiked it with rat poison, though he admitted that it was too charitable of a death for a group who dared to harm Rose Tyler. He took one last look behind him as Cinderella faded from the other room and up the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

The stepsisters and Lady Tremaine let the Doctor roam around the property on his own, knowing that Cinderella wasn’t going to interfere after what had happened to her. Little did the family know that the Doctor was searching desperately for his companion, and reached the backyard as a last ditch effort in finding her. The only thing on his mind was comforting her… letting her know that she wasn’t alone in such an awful situation. He never intended to cause such an event to happen, especially when he cared about his companions as much as he did.

Cinderella hid in her favorite mare’s generously huge stall, sitting on the hay and wiping tears away from her cheeks as she cried. Despite having lived with the abuse her whole life, the cruelty that she suffered from felt as though it were getting worse and worse the longer she lived in the house. She longed for her father; she longed for a better life, an opportunity to escape. She felt so trapped, even if she could easily just blatantly refuse anything from her family. Yet she was so scared of them. They frightened her with threats of severe abuse, of homelessness, of a life she could never have. She believed it.

Cinderella felt a presence near her as a shadow cast itself over her head, and it wasn’t until someone opened the stall door did she spin around in surprise to see a familiar face that she didn’t expect to see.

“It’s okay,” was all he said, a sad smile on his lips as he bent down beside her, the mare realizing that the door was open and went out willingly to munch on green grass. “I… I heard what was happening from the kitchen. I saw everything, and trust me when I say that it is completely unacceptable on that woman’s part. All I can say is that I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

She felt as though she couldn’t really move or breathe, because all she could focus on were the man’s eyes. A warm feeling came over her, and even though she didn’t know him she felt comforted by his presence and she had no idea why. She suddenly remembered her dream… the way his eyes stared back at her with such an intensity that frightened and fascinated her. Right then and now, she was looking at them again, only this time she was fully conscious. It suddenly made her hopeful.

“You’re not a Duke, are you?” was her response.

The Doctor looked away, pretending to come up with a lie but knowing that he was caught. “Weeelllll… okay, you got me, you clever girl!” Cinderella managed a small laugh, enough to get her mind off of why she was upset. “Was it that obvious?”

Cinderella smirked. “Only a lot.”

“It’s the clothes, isn’t it?”

“Yeah… you’ve got to be a bit more prepared. Thankfully they aren’t the brightest of people.”

The Doctor could only smile, showing his teeth. He noticed her start to wipe her eyes clean of tears, and his smile faded. She still looked disheartened, despite the mood lifting.

“Do you escape here often when this happens to you?”

Cinderella looked back at him, her eyes looking slightly sad. “Either here or my room, though I find myself coming here more often since they can all easily yell at me from the tower.” She pointed at her bedroom, which was perched in the sky next to the large house.

“I just don’t understand,” said the Doctor, his voice drifting. Cinderella continued to look at him as he did so, not understanding what he meant.

_Why her? Why does this world abuse her like this? How could they do this?_

"What don’t you understand?”

“Just… everything.” Anger was all he could focus on. The Doctor felt protective of Rose… _his_ Rose. He didn’t like thinking of it like that since he knew she was never his, but he cared for her greatly… and to see this happen to her, even as a completely different person, enraged him. He had to do something. He couldn’t deal with the thought of her being abused again mere minutes from the TARDIS where he could be safe from danger… because she was in danger and needed him. Part of him knew that interfering too much into her life could cause a major disturbance in the Cinderella story line, but his companions’ safety was his main concern. Always.

“Who are you?”

His eyes looked into hers, drifting back to the topic at hand. “My name’s not John Smith if that’s what you’re asking.”

She looked at him mockingly as though he were daft. “Obviously. I mean, _John Smith_? Who’s named _John Smith_?”

“I can name one from a little settlement called Jamestown, but that’s beside the point! I’m the Doctor, by the way.”

“… A doctor of what?”

“It’s just the Doctor, Miss…?”

“Cinderella.”

The Doctor spoke her name on his tongue. All he heard was her ‘family’ speaking it with such harshness and frowned. “Can I call you Cindy? Because, quite honestly, it’s easier on my brain because I cannot say that name over and over again and take you seriously.”

Cinderella laughed, finding that she liked the Doctor a little more now that she knew he could be trusted. Whether it had to do with her dreams or not, she was comfortable around the lanky gentleman. She felt the urge to befriend him. “You’re a strange man.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

Despite herself, Cindy hugged him, her arms around his neck. The Doctor stood still, and felt a little taken aback, but relaxed once he realized what was going on. It was nice feeling her arms around him again, and he drunk her in approvingly.

She suddenly pulled away slightly, looking at him apologetically. “Sorry… I just—”

“No, don’t be sorry,” the Doctor said happily. “C’mere!” He embraced her in return, and she joined in despite herself barely knowing him, loving the warmth coming from his long coat and dug her face into his chest.

“Thank you,” Cindy told him. “Thank you for… well, being here.” She felt a smile on his lips, and instantly she felt like she could trust someone for once. The Doctor let himself enjoy spending time with Cindy before he would have to let her go back in the house to be ordered around again, as much as he didn’t want her to; he couldn’t be around her too long before she would end up abused again, based on how easily jealous her stepsisters were whenever he was around for them to flirt with. If there was one thing he figured it immediately it was that she was being punished for having a friend, or even a lover.

_Still not the time, Doctor._

He didn’t have the heart to ruin her life any more by talking about how she wasn’t who she thought she was. At the moment she needed some support in the world she existed in, and despite how much he wanted to bring Rose back, he had to get Cindy better, considering how much Rose did mean to him. In a small way thanks to the chameleon arch, Cindy was a small part of Rose as Rose was apart of Cindy.

“CINDERELLA!”

Immediately the two jumped at the sound of Anastasia’s grinding voice.

“Quick, hide in here,” said Cindy, not wanting to get punished further for being with a man that her stepsisters fancied. She exited the stall, closing the door as Cindy grabbed the mare’s reins and put it on her head, letting the horse graze under her guidance. The Doctor knew that even as Cindy, Rose was clever, using the mare as an excuse to hide him.

Anastasia was now at the door to the backyard as Cindy patted the mare.

“Mother has been searching for you. She wants you to go shopping for dinner tonight, so get cracking and go to the market before the shops close!”

“You didn’t grab anything while you were shopping earlier?” asked Cindy.

Anastasia’s grin widened. “I grabbed that wealthy gentleman to take home, isn’t that a job well done?” Cindy didn’t respond, making Anastasia shrug and roll her eyes.   “Speaking of which, where did that attractive devil run off to?”

“Oh… well, I recall him slipping out the moment he was finished looking at the house. I heard him talk to another man stating what he saw, and then they left together by horseback.”

“You didn’t talk to him, did you?”

“Not a word,” Cindy lied.

The stepsister’s coy expression on her face was barely concealed. “Well let’s hope I spot him again around town and get him to come by again! It won’t be too hard with the charm I can pull off.”

She went about her merry way, tossing her long red hair over her shoulder with an exaggerated sway of her hips, leaving Cinderella alone. Cindy rolled her eyes and nearly groaned at how annoyed she was. The Doctor soon stepped out of the stall, swiping hay off of his clothes and standing beside her. Cindy looked back at him with an amused yet apologetic glance.

“I’m sorry that you had to be subjected to hearing that.”

“Trust me, Cindy, I’ve heard much worse. The ladies can’t seem to get enough of me wherever I go...” He sniffed pompously, running a hand through his hair as Cindy snorted.

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“I can’t help that this body is fit… or has a nice bum.”

Cindy gave him a surprised look. “They touched you, didn’t they?”

The Doctor scratched the back of his neck, ruffling his hair a bit. “Eh… brushed against me a bit, but hey, at least they didn’t grope my–”

“I know, I know!” She started laughing as the Doctor joined in. They both smiled at each other, their grins from ear to ear, as Cindy felt herself put a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Out of nowhere she felt herself blushing, and once more she couldn’t understand why. Not much was said until the Doctor broke the silence.

“Well, then… I suppose I shall see you later, in secret of course because of your crazy stepsisters?”

She suddenly blurted, “Can I come with you?”

The Doctor gave her a quizzical look.

“I… I was told to go shopping anyway, so…”

The Doctor couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. A little part of Rose was showing through Cindy, and he loved it. Already she wanted an adventure, since Cindy never got the chance to, being stuck in the house all the time. He got ever closer to getting her back to him.

“I’d love to join you, Cindy! Now come on! Allons-y!” He grabbed her wrist as Cindy started laughing, running after him as they ran from the backyard and tried not to be seen near the front porch. It didn’t take long before they were on their way to the marketplace, making sure the mare was properly released into the open fields before going their merry way.

* * *

“I never did this before!”

“What? Sneaking off, running away?”

“Yes… It’s so exciting!” Cindy beamed, giddy as a child as she held onto the Doctor’s arm and laughed.

"Well, clearly you’ve missed out!” said the Doctor. He knew the answer to the question he was going to ask, but said anyway, “Why do they coop you up like that? I’d certainly go mad at the thought of it.”

Cindy replied, “My stepmother, Lady Tremaine, married my father when I was a little girl. My mother died some time ago and when he remarried I thought I’d finally have a mother again. Suddenly, though… my father fell ill and passed away…”

“I’m sorry…”

She shrugged sadly, trying not to feel nostalgic as she continued her story. “That’s when everything turned around. Suddenly my stepmother starts treating me horribly, and practically orders her daughters to boss me around. They took everything away from me, and gave whatever I owned to her daughters and left me with no personal possessions of my own... though I did manage to keep a picture of my father, just in case they thought of discarding it. I was always shut in and wasn’t allowed to leave the house as my stepmother let my sisters squander themselves in the riches that belonged to my dead father. In a way, they treat me like a slave. It’s been like that ever since. And as a child I didn’t even know why, but I figured it out over time.”

“And it’s all because of…”

The discontent on her face made the Doctor stare in disbelief as she continued to talk. “I’m not 100% sure. Sometimes, though, they tell me how ugly I am just to put me down, even though I _know_ it’s not true. So… I guess it’s because of the fact that they’re jealous? Gosh, I sound so snobbish when I say it like that, but that’s the only reason I can think of. Once and I while I think, maybe if I wasn’t pretty, then maybe they wouldn’t feel the need to ruin my life.”

The Doctor stopped walking and gave her a disapproving glare. “Don’t _ever_ say that again. Just… never speak like that. Don’t stop believing in yourself, Cindy… not even in the likes of them.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, because he couldn’t help but touch her and reassure her of what she was capable of… of what _his_ Rose was capable of. “Don’t let them stand in your way, you hear? What they think shouldn’t be important, because they’re the ones who need fixing, not you. If they’re willing to hurt you like this for shallow reasons, then they are not worth it, believe me. You’re perfect just the way you are… please remember that. Don’t lose sight of what’s _really_ important.”

Cindy, much to her chagrin, let a tear slide down, never thinking that anyone could say something so sweet to her without lying through their teeth. She looked straight into his eyes again, how she loved them. All the things he was saying to her, how they lifted her so high above the clouds in a place she never thought she could find. It was wonderful. She couldn’t help but feel more and more drawn to him the longer he stuck around. Even at that moment, she felt as though she belonged with him in some way or another. The only difference between him and them was that his words felt and sounded genuine.

The Doctor wiped her tear away before flashing her a dashing smile. “Now… I think it’s best if we start having some good old fun, since such a thing is so foreign to you.”

“You make it sound as though I don’t even know what fun is.”

“You may know _what_ fun is, but you’ve never _experienced_ what fun is. I think you deserve a bit of that, don’t you?” Cindy couldn’t help but smile more, knowing that he was right, and hugged him again. In an instant the mood had changed as they finally got to the market place, smiles permanently on their faces. They almost forgot what had happened moments ago.

It didn’t take long for an earth tremor to interrupt the peace, but once more the people in town went about their merry way without a care in the world. After happening at least three times during the same day, the earthquakes were soon ignored by everyone, including Cindy and the Doctor, who didn’t stop to investigate. He took advantage of the freedom he had with Rose before she would be subjected to torture.

Even in a simple place like the market, Cindy has never had so much fun before. She loved how childish the Doctor could be, and even something as silly as playing tag could get her giggling like a schoolgirl. Why tag? She didn’t know or care, nor did she question him. It was the Doctor’s odd choice of a game in such a dense area, which made it much more entertaining. Most of the time Cindy got tagged more than she tagged the Doctor, though she secretly did so on purpose and didn’t want to admit it. She couldn’t help it—it made her smile whenever he was around. She never wanted to stop smiling.

After that, knowing that people around them were getting annoyed, they decided to pop around the shops and booths to be silly and try on hats. For most of the afternoon all they did was laugh and goof off, even playing pranks. During the whole experience, Cindy didn’t once think about the groceries she had to pick up. And she didn’t care.

Around dusk they settled down on a bench, sharing a pastry that they bought from the local bakery. The Doctor noticed such a change in Cindy as the hours passed between them, from being so shy and scared to bubbly and outgoing. It was what he had wanted to see all day long from his companion. Rose’s smile could light up the TARDIS, and seeing it on her face that day after what he witnessed was a better treat than the pastry he was eating. He sneakily put his arm across her shoulder, and as if she was expecting it Cindy put her head against his body. The cool breeze didn’t faze her when she had the comfort of his body to rely on.

“Doctor?”

“Mm?”

“I dreamt about you… the night before.”

The Doctor’s eyes widened and looked at her curiously. _So the chameleon arch_ is _projecting thoughts from her previous identity. That means there’s a possibility to find a source._ “Because I’m that wonderful?” he replied cheekily.

She glared at him playfully, knowing that he was only joking. “No, you silly man. I really did dream about you. I mean… all I saw were your eyes and your hair, and I couldn’t make out your face, but I saw you. I saw you with this blue box, with it traveling around in the stars with all of these really beautiful colors… It was amazing.” The Doctor listened quietly, feeling saddened by the harsh reality of having to tell her about her true identity, or at least the identity that existed in his universe. It would ruin the only happy thoughts that ever graced Cindy’s life, and he didn’t want to see it. It would scare her, hearing all of it coming out of a strange man like him. He would wait as long as he could. “Which brings me to a question… where _are_ you from? You’re obviously not from London.”

The Doctor smiled, looking to the sky. “I’m from a very, very far away place, Cindy. Farther than anywhere else you’ve ever known.”

“Are you from the stars? Did you come from heaven?” Her eyes were full of hope, like a wishing child. He knew it was all she had. It was adorable yet sad at the same time.

“You can say I came from there, yes…” he said.

She dug her head closer to his chest. “I knew it. I knew that the stars were alive. I knew that, in some way, they all came down from the darkness to bring people happiness and joy. I know that because that’s what you gave to me.”

Inside the Doctor laughed. While he did bring that to Cindy, he knew that he usually brought death and destruction, sorrow and rage; he brought on his curse to the people he touched, including the woman he was trying to save, but he knew that what he did with Rose that day was enough to forgive himself, if only for a few hours.

Cindy looked at him, full of admiration. _How can he be so perfect?_ she thought. He was an eccentric savant, mad and full of life and yet so mysterious. He brought her joy and happiness within a single afternoon, his pleasant smile a bonus to her day spent looking at angry faces and cruel acts of punishment. She wanted a grasp at a free life with someone, and it just felt so right to be next to him. _I wonder if I…_

Before the Doctor could say anything more to his beloved companion, she clashed her lips to his, taking him by surprise. His head began to race, knowing what he just did and knowing that it wasn’t a good sign.

_Doctor… Doctor, you’ve got to wake up and stop this! This isn’t suppose to happen! She’s not suppose to do this, she–_

Anything he was supposed to think to get himself out of the situation went to the back of his mind, lost and forgotten. She was pulling him in, interlacing her fingers in his hair just as she had done when Cassandra had taken over her mind. He couldn’t help but deepen the kiss, missing Rose, missing her being with him even when it had only been a day. His hearts ached for her enough as it was, not to mention that he already had feelings for her. Cindy’s kiss was satisfying and intensified those feelings, making them grow stronger and driving him mad.

They suddenly broke apart, Cindy’s cheeks flushed and suddenly feeling quite bashful. She smiled sheepishly, looking away and blushing as she pulled a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. Of course, like a fool, the Doctor couldn’t help but grin back, knowing full well what he was doing was going against what was suppose to happen.

 _She’s suppose to end up with the Prince. She’s supposed to get her wishes granted by some stupid fairy godmother and go to the Ball looking as beautiful as ever. This is so wrong, on so many levels. It’s my Rose… but it’s not_ her _._

Somehow, based on how she was responding to him, Cindy was—and possibly _had_ —fallen in love with him… and it was his fault. The Doctor knew his feelings for Rose were clouding his thinking, and he had to stop it before it could go further. He had a bad feeling the moment he started interfering.

“Cindy, it’s getting really late; you ought to get back to the house before they start to wonder.”

She agreed, looking somewhat disappointed but knew she couldn’t avoid her stepmother and stepsisters any longer. They both got up from the bench, walking through the crowded streets, though this time didn’t leave as jovial as they came.

Sometime later as they walked up a narrow path back to the house, the only sounds were that of the crickets, as well as a small earth tremor that made a small crack in the ground. Cindy didn’t bother to grab the Doctor’s arm or attempt at holding his hand, because she personally felt as though she went past his comfort zone.

She blurted out, “I’m sorry.”

The Doctor looked back at her. “For what?”

“I shouldn’t have done what I did.”

“Cindy, there’s no need to—”

Cindy shook her head. “No, I could tell that you were uncomfortable after that, because the moment we got up to leave you distanced yourself from me. There’s something on your mind and I wasn’t helping. I was just _so_ excited and happy in the heat of the moment and… I don’t know, it just felt so right to be with you, Doctor. You really lifted me up when I was so down, and despite knowing you for only a day, I feel like I’ve known you my whole life.”

The Doctor could only look on, not knowing what else to say. All he kept hearing was Rose talking, saying such meaningful things to him. He knew it was Cinderella talking, not her… but he knew Rose was in there, coming out to him.

Cindy suddenly looked shy. “I know… it sounds weird to say, but that’s how I felt.”

The Doctor gave a sad smile. “There’s nothing strange about that. Don’t be ashamed. I felt it, too… which is why I had to stop. It’s… complicated. Let’s just say that you’re exactly like someone I know, who I care about very much, and I miss her deeply. And I just couldn’t help myself either.”

Cindy returned a smile, rubbing his arm as a way to comfort. “You were in love with her.”

He placed a hand on her cheek, rubbing it with her thumb as she held it. “No. I _am_ in love with her. She’s still here.” Her expression changed as her brow knitted together in confusion. His smile was still sad. “She’s standing right in front of me.”

She could only stare, confused yet also contemplating what he said. Slowly, yet surely, she was piecing together what he meant. “… When you said you were from the stars, does that mean that strange things can happen to the people you meet?” The Doctor nodded. Cindy blinked, licking her lips and knitting her brow. “So… what do you mean?”

The Doctor was speaking quietly now, bracing himself for impact. “Your name isn’t Cinderella. Your real name is Rose Tyler, a girl from the 21st century who travels with me as my companion. I travel with her around the same stars you dream of. I’m not human.”

“But… but how can that be? What do you mean?”

“This world you live in? It’s not real. I mean, I’m not sure if it’s real or not to be honest, but—”

Cindy widened her eyes in a glare, stepping away from him at his accusations. “No… no that’s not true! I’ve been here my whole life, and it’s always been like that since I was a little girl! How can you say that?”

The Doctor knew what was coming, but continued to explain. “Cindy, no, please! Let me explain. This whole place is a strange alternate universe, and it exists because of an accident.”

“So I’m an accident, then?”

“No! You’re still Cindy, but you’re still apart of Rose. You’re still the same person, but at the same time you’re not. It’s hard to explain, but you have to listen to me!”

Cindy shook her head in disbelief, not wanting to convince herself. Her pain, her suffering, her stepmother and stepsisters, to say that wasn’t real enraged her. “Who are _you_ to say what’s real? Is the pain that I told you about not real, Doctor? Is that what you’re telling me? That I’m just some nonexistent person who is actually your partner or… something!”

“Cindy… everything you go through here is real because _you are Rose Tyler_. You’re as real as I am, but you have to realize that what you’re going through are lies because your consciousness is different from Rose’s. You have to believe me when I say that the people you are going home to are who you think they are.”

Cindy just stared at him with her eyes wide, backing away from him as she shook her head in shock. “You’re mad!” Too frightened to argue anymore, she fled, running back to the house despite the abuse she knew she was going to face. It was better than dealing with the information she just received.

“CINDY! Cindy, please, no!” No matter what he did, the Doctor couldn’t convince her. By now he knew it was hopeless. He was exhausted, mentally and physically. He couldn’t do anything unless she came to him. He knew nothing of what laid behind the estate’s doors at night, and he couldn’t risk getting himself hurt when he needed the TARDIS to get Rose home. He watched her disappear into the coming night, praying…

 _Please be safe._    


	4. Chapter 4

Wiping the sweat from his brow, the Doctor took his eye away from the microscope. The dirt he brought inside the TARDIS from the crack had been found to be a much more confusing specimen than he previously thought. “Interesting.”

The soil appeared dehydrated, lacking basic elements for life or for a sustainable culture. The Doctor knew that the universe he was standing inside was based off of a very biased and generalized story that didn’t have too many details to go on, but he wasn’t sure if it was real or it was put over an existing world. Building a world off of a movie was a challenge, even though he didn’t believe the DVD was the reason behind the world’s existence. The Doctor knew that whatever place he was invading was very clever indeed if it managed to create something bigger than what its template offered. Something else was at work here. Something powerful.

One thing was certain to him—the earthquakes were being caused by a disturbance, either from the TARDIS or something preexisting. From that point onward he would expect the earthquakes to get more and more intense the longer he stayed, and wondered if the Tremaine family had anything to do with it.

Sighing, the Doctor stood back up and unplugged the microscope, sitting on the couch close to his ship’s damaged control panel. The TARDIS was healing well in such a short amount of time, and most of the damage caused by the solar storm was practically gone. Tinkering was the only option for her now, but the Doctor couldn’t get himself to grab his sonic screwdriver and get to work, no matter how lovely the TARDIS hummed. Too much was on his mind.

His hearts ached. For the first time in a while, he saw that look on Rose’s face: that childlike admiration that she always looked at him with as they traveled the stars; it was that look that she thought he didn’t notice, but he did. He always did… and every single time it made his hearts flutter knowing that she felt the same. Inside, though, the Doctor knew he would lose her in the end, and never talked about it because of his fear of getting too close. The day spent with Cindy made that sense of security blur. It proved to him that a certain part of Rose—Cindy—was genuinely in love with him, as much as he was with her. It was a little moment to remind him how precious those moments of her were, without the fear of something chasing them. He couldn’t bear to let that go, not now. It meant too much to lose her.

The Doctor groaned, practically pulling out his hair. “Why does this have to be so hard?” He quickly got his sonic screwdriver from his pocket, deciding to himself that he needed to take his mind off of the day’s events, at least long enough to let Cindy rest up back at the estate. He decided to turn on some music, and in spite of himself, let his choice of song go along its coarse:    

 

_♪_ _♫_ _♪_ _♫_

_So this is love, Mmmmmm_

_So this is love_

_So this is what makes life divine_

_I'm all aglow, Mmmmmm_

_And now I know (and now I know)_

_The key to all heaven is mine_

_♪_ _♫_ _♪_ _♫_

 

Even while tinkering, he couldn’t help but stop and let the music travel into his ears, soaking it up and letting the warm sensation in his chest consume him. He remembered that scene, in the movie. He never got over it when he first experienced it in the 1950’s. It was the dance scene when Cinderella and the Prince walked over the bridge and through the garden, the fountain spraying water in the moonlight. Traditional animation was a beautiful thing, and he could remember the blue colors so clearly. Even if it wasn’t his favorite film, he recalled its dazzling beauty and respected it for the amount of detail and work that went into making it. He inhaled, sighing slowly as he let himself relax. He could hardly do any work now, not when he was thinking about Rose’s safety and how much he worried about her.

 

_♪_ _♫_ _♪_ _♫_

_My heart has wings, Mmmmmm_

_And I can fly_

_I'll touch ev'ry star in the sky_

_So this is the miracle that I've been dreaming of_

_♪_ _♫_ _♪_ _♫_

   

_Snap out of it, you old fool_ , the Doctor thought to himself. _You don’t have a choice in the matter, but pursuing her when you feel like this? It’s dangerous. You’re not thinking straight._

           

_♪_ _♫_ _♪_ _♫_

_Mmmmmm_

_Mmmmmm_

_So this is love_

♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

He let the music fade out, his concern never waning.

* * *

 

Cindy finally reached the stairs to the house, out of breath with her mind racing. The thought of being someone other than herself disturbed her, and immediately she told herself to forget what the Doctor told her. _Just like everyone else in my life; they’re all liars._

It was bad enough that she was coming home to her family later than usual, which meant that they were going to be upset and punish her severely. Letting out a tired sigh, she approached the door, getting the key out from her pocket. She couldn’t get the thought of Rose Tyler out of her head, though, even if she knew that the man she met that day was messing with her head. For some reason, as she thought harder, the name felt familiar, like she heard it somewhere else but couldn’t remember when. As weird as the Doctor was, and how mysterious he could be with his riddles and made-up stories regarding her identity, the one thing she did know about him was that he changed her life in only a day… and it scared her.  

She opened the door to see that the lights were on, and after shutting the door she turned around to see none other than her stepmother and stepsisters, holding lit candles in their hands that illuminated their faces with ghoulish shadows. Their arms were crossed, giving her an icy glare that gave Cindy the creeps. Whether it was because of the information that was given to her, or because of the vibes she was receiving from them, there was something different about the three women the moment she entered the room. Now she understood where the Doctor was coming from, but she tried not to think about it. They were lies, after all. She could only stare at the people in question, blinking and panicking with not much to say about the position she was in.

“You’re late.” Lady Tremaine’s voice stabbed Cindy in the chest, and in response she remained quiet. “And you don’t have any groceries.”

_Oh, shoot!_

She grinned sheepishly, saying, “Well… the thing about that is, um… I nearly got robbed! I was in the market about to buy groceries, when a robber came out and tried to take my money! I ran and hid for a while… and… um…” Cindy glanced back at the three women, who did not look at all convinced. “Yeah… um… I’ll just stop talking.”

“Cinderella… you disrespectful, selfish wench!” growled Lady Tremaine, the stepsisters grinning mischievously as their mother started to reprimand Cindy. “You pretentious liar. I don’t know where you were or what you were actually doing… but I won’t tolerate it.” Cindy noticed the anger coming from all of them, and the angrier they became the closer they entered her space. She shifted towards the stairs leading to the next floor, ready to run.

“You know, Mother,” said Drizella, “if I’m not mistaken, I heard that the Duke ran off unexpectedly after we sent him to roam the house. Perhaps Cinderella… ran after him?”

 _Oh, god,_ please _don’t listen to her!_

Cindy mentally begged for her stepmother to not believe it, but she could tell that when it came to situations like this, she was bound to lose every single time.

“I knew it!” shouted Anastasia, agreeing with her sister. “When I saw her today grazing the horse, she was just standing there looking all innocent! She ran off with him without our permission. You’re not going to put up with this, are you, Mother?”

Cindy could have sworn she saw Lady Tremaine’s eyes flash a light green at her daughters, but it was gone in an instant when she tilted her head towards her face. _Something’s not right…_

“With evidence like that, I’d say guilty is charged,” said her stepmother, glaring at Cindy with venom in her eyes. Lady Tremaine smiled softly, her eyes showing little to no pity.

All her life, Cindy was told what to do and not question it, but after spending her whole life being being put down, that anger kept building up. She had enough, with everything. Cindy never understood why they were so unfair, even if they were jealous, and after such a long day, she didn’t want to take any more backlashes from anyone. She glared back at the women, standing up straight with a tense posture.

“What right do _you_ have to order me around and tell me what to do? And yes, I _did_ go with the Duke this afternoon, but do you know why? Because he actually made me feel as though I were important, unlike all of you!” The women before her stood there, impassive yet listening intently to what Cinderella was saying. They almost looked like they were expecting her to retort out of spite. By then she was just getting warmed up. “And why should I have to be punished for not doing something that any one of you can do on your own? All my life all you’ve done is make me feel as though I’m nothing, but you know what? I _am_ somebody, and I know that I’m a good person who doesn’t deserve what’s being given to me in this bloody house!” She ripped off her apron and let her hair fall to her shoulders, her eyes ablaze as though she were the Bad Wolf of her previous self. She threw the apron to the ground with a huff, their eyes following. “So how about _you_ get the brooms, and _you_ get the soap for the dishes, because I’m not cleaning up after you lazy, spoilt, entitled princesses any minute longer!”

Everything was silent. Cindy was breathing hard, staring back at her worst enemies expecting them to beat her as usual. But all they did was give her small, smug smiles, and it felt eerie to watch them stare at her as though she were a cute little lion cub trying to roar. It almost looked as though they were eyeing her as food. They were very close to her now, their eyes bearing into Cindy’s.

Lady Tremaine finally gave her an answer, saying quietly, “I think this _Duke_ has put far too many thoughts into your naïve little mind.”

“I think she needs some rest, Mother,” said Drizella. “Her face looks so pale.”

“I agree wholeheartedly…” Anastasia added. “Let’s put her to sleep.”

Cindy noticed how soft their voices sounded, but their eyes were staring, refusing to blink and slowly changing into a different color. She saw them turn a bright green, and all she could do was stand in place in hopes of them going away. In an instant their faces began to morph: their nostrils expanded ten times their normal size; their eyes shifting far apart; their skin turned into a strange texture she couldn’t describe, as it also changed color. She could barely catch a glimpse of what happened next, because the next thing she knew, she was out cold.

* * *

 

Cindy awoke with a startle. All she could feel was a dull ache in the back of her head, and she reached up to touch an open wound that pinpointed the pain. Cindy felt dizzy and nauseated, the sunlight making it difficult to see. She then realized that she was in her bedroom, and her eyes widened in surprise. She tried to remember the night before—how her family suddenly turned into monsters (or something of the sort)… but it felt so strange to think of it.

_Was it all a dream?_

She remembered the night clearly, but for some strange reason she couldn’t focus hard enough to think. She blamed it on the pounding headache she kept feeling, and knew that once she moved around she could try to make sense of the matter.

After getting herself ready, she carefully made her way to the kitchen, expecting her stepsisters and Lady Tremaine to be waiting for her. She tried to picture the usual scene she would expect downstairs: her stepsisters fighting over a new necklace, her stepmother trying to break them up and ordering her around, but all she could imagine were the ugly, strange faces with glowing green eyes staring at her. A wave of nausea pushed the thoughts aside, and she starting massaging the back of her head where a stinging pain refused to go away. Upon reaching the kitchen, she leaned against the wall, rubbing her head as she tried to focus on the people sitting in the kitchen chairs.

“Our laundry is waiting for you in the bedrooms, Cinderella,” said Lady Tremaine, unfazed by Cindy’s condition.

“Um… all right,” she replied, barely thinking about what she was talking about as she blinked a few times to clear her vision. She felt much too disoriented to fight back, which she knew, in some way or another, was their doing.

She heard Anastasia chime in, “Oh, and we still need food from the market. I suggest you make it back home before dark.”

Cindy glanced back to see them all smiling softly, looking at her as she walked back up the stairs with the same gaze she recognized from last night. It made her extremely uncomfortable, and she quickly looked away... knowing that they were still watching her leave.

She didn’t even think about getting their laundry. The first thing she did was go to the stable and feed the horses, hoping it would get her mind off of the situation and be outside in the fresh air. The pain and nausea didn’t go away, nevertheless. After she finished with the horses she collapsed next to a tree in the shade, her eyes fluttering. She felt so tired all of a sudden, as if she wanted to sleep. But before she could close her eyes to let the pain subside, Cindy realized that she wasn’t alone.

“’Ello, there.”

She flew her eyes open to see the Doctor leaning against the same tree, wiggling his fingers as he waved at her. Immediately she felt irritated, getting up yet supporting herself against the trunk in case she fell.

“You again!”

“The one and only!”

She glared, hoping she looked threatening as the world spun in her line of vision. “Go away! I don’t want to hear about how I’m someone else and all that nonsense!”

“You’re clearly not thinking straight,” observed the Doctor, noticing Cindy’s erratic body language. He grew leery.

Cindy found that she couldn’t respond to him very well. Thinking was proving to be a chore, and she held her head again, moaning uncomfortably.

The Doctor exchanged a worried expression. “Cindy? Are you feeling okay?”

“I was fine until you came crawling back!” The Doctor didn’t take her replies seriously.  

Cindy took herself away from the tree to stand up, but ended up nearly falling over instead. The Doctor caught her before she hit the ground, and immediately he checked her temperature. “No fever… but you are a bit delusional,” he mused.

“Delusional?” said Cindy. “Says the man who thinks I’m some girl named Rose Tyler!”

The Doctor rolled his eyes, picking her up from the ground and letting her lean against him. _I knew I shouldn’t have let her go back to this horrible place. They’ve done something to her…_

“Cindy, you’re going to have to come with me,” he told her. Cindy didn’t respond, though he assumed it was because her head was killing her. Slowly yet surely he made his way back to the TARDIS, knowing that something was there to help her recover. He knew by the way she rebounded on the way over that whatever was wrong with her wasn’t deadly.

Cindy still felt dizzy and sick as she tried to walk, though she appreciated the support from the Doctor. Even on the way to wherever he was going, she found herself slowly recovering from whatever bug infected her.

“… Doctor?” He turned to face her. “Where are we going?”

“To the TARDIS.”

She looked at him with sleepy eyes, confused and dazed. “The _what_?”

The Doctor couldn’t help but giggle, not answering her as Cindy kept following in sink with his footsteps.

* * *

 

The Doctor observed her slowly start to regain a sense of awareness, which relieved him. After checking her head for any injuries, he noticed a few bite marks… highly unusual bite marks. Immediately he concluded it to be some sort of venom bite, though he couldn’t be sure. He wasn’t sure about anything anymore, and despite his doubt, Cindy was making a full recovery.

“It’s a blue box.”

Cindy sat on the small couch near the control panel as the Doctor tinkered with the controls, fixing a few levers and wires below the panel while he waited for her to regain her composure. Her face was full of disbelief, staring at nothing at all as she was lost in her own thoughts. If anything, she was trying to make sense of all that she had seen. He stopped working once he heard her start to talk.

“This big room… it all came from a little blue box. That’s impossible.”

The Doctor stood up, putting his sonic screwdriver into his coat pocket. The TARDIS was the only one making a sound as the humming droned quietly. The Doctor could only wait for her to speak up again, because he knew how shocking it must be for her.

"This isn’t real. It never was. It has to be a dream.” Defiantly she got up, stumbling a bit, and walked out of the TARDIS. It didn’t take long for the Doctor to start running after her, like he always did.

He saw Cindy walking a little ways down the hill where his TARDIS landed. He called after her, “Cindy! Cindy, wait up!”

"Just leave me alone, Doctor!” she yelled back. She felt tears coming on, and she scrunched up her face to let them fall. At that point, she didn’t care if anyone saw. It was all too much for her to bear. She kept seeing things from her dream come alive to her in the course of two days… and it all used to be her imagination. All she could do was run away.

But she stopped running, for she didn’t know where else to go. She sat down at the base of the hill, where she let her head fall to her knees, crying. The Doctor stood at a distance at first, but gathered up enough courage to sit down next to her, his arm around her protectively.

She lifted her head to see his face, his eyes looking disheartened. Cindy wiped her tears away, letting herself get lost in the eyes she adored, if only for a few moments. “I didn’t mean it, the stuff I said.”

“I know.”

“I… I just… don’t understand,” she said, holding back tears. “I feel as though I want to believe it, but I don’t. Or vise versa. I don’t know!” She let more tears fall, bowing her head down so that she wouldn’t have to look at him. “What you told me last night… and then coming home to more strange things… I couldn’t take it anymore!”

The Doctor’s eyes widened at this new information. “Cindy, tell me what happened.”

“But—”

“Cindy, for your own safety you have to tell me what’s going on in that house.”

Annoyed, Cindy’s eyebrows met. “Why? It’s not like I have much of a choice, now do I? I go with you, and I’m left feeling confused about what I see and what I imagine. Yet if I stay at the house I’ll be left to die and not be cared about. Either way, I’ll never know anything at all!”

The Doctor could only look at her sadly, tilting her chin up with his hand to face him, despite Cindy hating it. “I can see right through you… and you know full well what’s right.”

Cindy continued to glare, surprised at his bold statement as she wiggled herself away from his hand. “Oh, really now?”

“Yes. I do.” His expression was unchanged.

“Enlighten me, then,” she retorted, crossing her arms and letting the wind mess up her hair.

He laughed through his nose, unimpressed. “I know how you feel, Cindy. You deal with the pain every singe day of your life, knowing what’s to come one day and half expecting the next to be a little different.   When help comes along you don’t go with it because you’re too proud… because it’s easier to let the pain stay, isn’t it?”

Cindy’s face softened, looking at him with large doe eyes. She didn’t look away.

“It’s easier to not do anything about it because you don’t want to deal with the truth. No one wants to deal with the truth, because it hurts, right? In order to achieve happiness, you have to get through the hardest parts before reaching that peace you’re searching for. Trust me, I know _exactly_ how you feel. It’s not fun… but it’s the most rewarding.”

Once more, Cindy was left speechless. Like yesterday she found herself captivated, mostly because he was right. All she could do then was let more tears go down her cheeks, with the Doctor sitting beside her, shielding her from the harsh winds with his long coat. It didn’t take long for her to start hugging him again, tightly wrapping her arms around his body. All she wanted to do was _be_ with him.

“I hate you,” she said, whimpering.

“I know,” he grinned.  


	5. Chapter 5

Cindy and the Doctor travelled back into town and drifted among the people in the marketplace. The Doctor knew that Cindy would have to pick up groceries for the three women back home, though he didn’t know why she even bothered. He presumed it was because she was scared, and by now was desperate in escaping the clutches of whatever aliens lurked around the house. Something happened to her in that large mansion while he wasn’t there, and he had to get it out of her before she’ll forget altogether out of fear. If anything, appeasing them was Cindy’s best option, and doing what they said was better than being reprimanded.

The Doctor tagged along with her for protection, but as she concentrated solely on getting food, he couldn’t help but question her. “You never told me what happened back there.”

Cindy ignored him, but knowing the Doctor wouldn’t give up, she replied, “I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“And why not?” the Doctor said, impatient. “For god’s sake, Cindy, something bit you on the back of your head and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a spider.”

Cindy’s body language indicated that she hated all the questions directed at her, and chose to ignore him.

“When you confirmed the fact that the people I meet see strange things when they’re with me, you were right. I know you saw something out of the ordinary in that building… and it wasn’t human. And you know it.”

Cindy turned around brashly, putting a loaf of bread in the basket she held. “So what if I did? They didn’t kill me!”

"That’s exactly what I mean! They _didn’t_ kill you, despite the venom. That only indicates one thing—they’re trying to keep you alive for some sort of purpose. Why did they bite you, Cindy? What caused them to lash out at you?”

“Will you just SHUT UP!” Bystanders exchanged glances at Cindy’s outburst, but the marketplace started to buzz after a few moments of silence. The couple stood quietly, the Doctor’s eyebrows raised and Cindy’s expression full of rage. Quickly Cindy broke the stare, continuing on her way down the booths as the Doctor awkwardly followed.

_I don’t want to remember…_

The piercing green eyes, the strange, alien face staring at her eerily… she couldn’t get the images out of her head. She sighed, putting her hair behind her ears, knowing that the Doctor wouldn’t stop until he had an answer.

“I stood up for myself,” she finally said, catching the Doctor’s attention. “I got back and they were mad at me for being home after dark… and I just lost it.”

The Doctor’s smile was from ear to ear as he felt like jumping for joy, giving Cindy a tight squeeze. “I knew at some point you weren’t going to take their nonsense anymore! Good for you!” Cindy couldn’t help herself as she smiled, hating how the Doctor could manage to make her smile and frown within minutes.

“Yes, well, after that, things started to get strange. They began accusing me of seeing you, and that’s when I got mad and started to yell. They didn’t even respond to my big long speech on how I hated them, either! They just stared at me, changing shape as if their faces were masks and they were taking it off for me to see. Sometimes I noticed their eyes flash green, but instantly they changed back and I didn’t know what else to do other than stand there. That’s when they ambushed me and… I woke up the next day feeling sick. It got even stranger when I walked down the stairs to see them grin at me, like I was food or something…” She grimaced, trying to shake the thought of being eaten alive out of her head.

The Doctor thought to himself, and like always was quick to respond to the situation. “Sounds to me like they were keeping you in order.”

“What do you mean?”

“Weeellll you escaped the house with me without them knowing, came home late, and then started declaring your rights all in the same day! They were trying to shut you up. I think they’re trying to keep you quiet and compliant to stop you from rebelling… but why?”

Cindy noticed his musings and said bluntly, “Because they’re awful people?”

The Doctor rolled his eyes. “They are not people! They are sentient beings from another world—in other words, aliens, and very dangerous, as I can tell. The venom they injected into you was a clear warning, and they’re telling you, and me probably, to knock it off.”

“I just hope they don’t eat me,” said Cindy, trying not to imagine it.

“If only I knew what they were, then maybe I can figure this all out…”

Not much was said after that, for Cindy couldn’t focus on anything but appeasing the creatures she would go home to. Part of her couldn’t even believe that what the Doctor was talking about was _real_.

“I’m not leaving your side,” the Doctor suddenly declared.

Cindy looked at him, her face full of shock. “But isn’t it dangerous for you? If they truly discover that you’re not a Duke, they could come after you! They might do something far worse than what they did to me.”

“Yes, but considering I don’t want you to get hurt again, I have to keep an eye on them to see what they’re up to. I’m not going to sit back and let them mess with your head again. If anything, I’m trying to figure out what they want you for.”

“Aww… being all protective of me, are you?” Cindy teased.

“Because I wouldn’t want anyone hurting a brilliant little thing like you,” the Doctor teased back, pinching her cheeks. Cindy batted his hands away.

“Oh, stop!” she laughed.

“Not until you’re done grocery shopping, because by now it’s getting quite pointless and boring.”

“You try dealing with ‘sentient beings from another world’ that want to kill you.”

“Story of my bloody life, Cindy! _Story of my life_.”

* * *

“Mother! Mother!”

Anastasia’s cries caught the attention of Lady Tremaine as she perked her head up to see her daughter crash through the door to her bedroom. “What is it, child?”

Anastasia looked out of breath, but excited. If anything, Lady Tremaine knew that whatever news she brought was good, because it regarded Cinderella no doubt. “You won’t believe what I just saw out in the market today.”

Lady Tremaine’s smile managed to reach her eyes, which was a rare thing for her in the household. “Try me… for I have a pretty good idea.”

“It’s Cinderella. She’s with the Duke again, even while she shops! Even though we enforce the rules, she always manages to break them. I tell you, Mother, there is something about that Duke that she likes. She can’t seem to stay away from him.”

Lady Tremaine laughed softly. “I’ve noticed. I’m not as oblivious as I seem, you know. We can’t allow her to keep in contact with that imposter.”

As if on cue, a powerful earthquake erupted, sending Anastasia to the floor. It stopped within a minute, leaving the room disarrayed. The women’s expressions were full of fear.

“They’re getting worse every time,” Anastasia said, smoothing out her dress.

“Indeed they are. These cracks are appearing in several places now, and no matter how many times I seal them up they never stop coming back. Ever since this man came they have gotten worse over time.”

“Is he not the girl’s species?”

“Obviously. It’s bad enough that he and Cinderella have gotten increasingly close… and even closer can cost us the throne. No matter what, we _need_ to keep her going down the correct path to the desired end.”

“Until we ruin it,” smiled Anastasia, her eyes flashing a light green, if only for a few seconds. “Which one of us will try on the slipper? Me or Drizella?”

“It doesn’t matter. You’ll both fit.”

Anastasia’s expression was of pure joy, making her mother smile out of genuine happiness. “Even in the castle we would keep the girl controlled in an endless loop of torture until she’s nothing but a husk.”

“Oh, I can’t wait! Is it almost time to bring the news of the Ball?”

“Very soon, daughter, be patient. Once she returns home we will announce it. However, we need to take extra precautions. I’m assuming the ‘Duke’ will be coming back?”

“I heard he wasn’t going to leave her alone, which means he’ll be close by.”

“Then you know what needs to be done. Go to her bedroom and grab whatever possessions she owns.” With a nod Anastasia was on her way out the door, no questions asked. “Oh, and dear? Be sure to remind the girl that my bedroom needs to be tidied.”

A mischievous grin plastered itself on Anastasia’s face, practically skipping to the Cinderella’s bedroom as she said a quick hello to her sister. Lady Tremaine prayed for all to go well, getting up from her chair to welcome Cinderella downstairs.

* * *

She couldn’t move. Her grip to the basket full of groceries was like iron. She could only stare at the house in front of her, afraid that the aliens would barge out of the door towards her without mercy, ready to rip out her throat and kill her. She swallowed down air, her feet stuck to the ground. _I can’t do this, I can’t do this, I can’t do this, I can’t—_

A warm hand touched her shoulder, with the body attached to the hand hovering behind her back protectively. She turned around to face him, his eyes bearing down at her like she always pictured in her dreams. “It’s going to be all right, Cindy. I’m right here.”

“I still don’t like the idea of you coming with me.”

“Well, tough, because I’m waltzing in with you.” His grin gave her the clue that she didn’t need to worry about him. If anything, Cindy knew that he could take care of himself just fine. Experience was another part of him that she saw in his eyes.

_I think he’s seen far more than I can ever imagine._

She looked back at the house with fear in her eyes, trying to convince herself to move forward.

Inside the residence, Drizella stood near a window, looking out at the couple and sending a visual message to the other women. “The imposter is with her. Best be prepared. Here they come!”

Cinderella opened the door to the estate, the Doctor close behind as the women frantically made their way downstairs, holding their dresses up to keep from stepping on them. All looked disgruntled and mildly surprised.

“Cinderella, how on Earth could you bring this man into the house?” said her stepmother, rushing down to her side.

Cindy was still frozen, and refused to talk back in case of being ambushed again. Still, she stood her ground.

“If there’s one thing I realized about this town, it is the fact that there is no ‘Duke of London’ _anywhere_. Not only is this upsetting, but it is also enraging to see you going behind our backs in order to see this meddlesome liar!”

The Doctor had his doubts, but was proud of Cindy when she spoke back to them: “Why does it matter? He’s not who he says he is, so why can’t I see him as a friend? He’s not rich, nor does he own land or have money; he’s a simple man living in a simple home.”

Drizella was quick to retort. “You never deserved a man, you filthy pile of shite! Why would any man ever desire such a wench like you? Hell, on second thought, keep the bastard! A no-good rotten liar fits you to a tee!”

“And besides,” added Anastasia, “it’s not like we don’t know how much you absolutely _adore_ him!”

Cindy looked at her feet, her cheeks red, despite not knowing how or why they knew about what went on inside her head. She admitted to herself that she did have a bit of a crush on him, though she had a feeling that wasn’t a shocker to anyone she knew or not. The Doctor, nevertheless, wasn’t as surprised to hear it.

“Funny,” continued Anastasia. “Your little infatuation sounds an awful lot like the feelings that Ro–”

“Now, now, Anastasia,” Lady Tremaine interrupted with a smile. Cinderella was in a state of shock at the fact that the creatures in front of her were able to know a lot more than what she expected. “I think it’s best if we speak to this man in private.”

Lady Tremaine’s menacing glare was directed at Cindy, who couldn’t help but object. “I know a lot more than you think I do, and I think I have a right to–”

“Leave, heathen, or I’ll take care of you myself!”

The Doctor leaned in to whisper in Cindy’s ear. “I think it’s best if you went, Cindy. I don’t want you hurt.”

The stepsisters rolled their eyes as Cindy quickly left the scene after putting her groceries on a nearby table, loudly mocking her as she went upstairs. “It figures that she listens to _you_.”

“That’s because I’m brilliant.” He flashed her a wide smile, loving how they glared at him. Even in disguise, messing with them was still fun. “Almost spilled the beans, there, didn’t you? She already knows. I told her already. She knows that she’s not Cinderella, though the only part that’s missing from her are the memories she used to possess.”

Lady Tremaine was quick to lay down the rules. If there’s one thing she’s noticed about the strange man in front of her, it was that he knew way too much to be ordinary. “Who are you, sir? Explain yourself!” By then, all of their eyes flashed a bright green, their true selves showing through. They, particularly Lady Tremaine, felt slightly intimidated.

“Is it really that important to know who I am, ladies?” said the Doctor, leaning against the door nonchalantly. “At this point, you’re gripping at straws. This little universe is falling apart for an important reason and I have the right to know what you’re doing with Rose.”

“I’m assuming you have some form of relation with this Rose, then?” asked Drizella. “I didn’t know she came with company.”

“Also,” added her sister, “don’t you find it strange how he hasn’t been affected by the changes we’ve caused?”

“I crash landed here after a solar storm,” explained the Doctor. “I have technology that Rose attached to by accident, hence why I probably wasn’t included in your sick game. That’s all it was: an accident. And somehow, after countless observations, you managed to build a world from her memories of a film and steal her mind, insert another, as well as take her away from me. Why are you doing this to her? How are you achieving this? Tell me!” The women were taken aback by his forwardness, and clearly were not used to being ordered around.

Lady Tremaine noticed his tense body, his eyebrows meeting and his eyes blazing with such intensity she could have sworn she saw fire. The man that stood before her obviously was important to Rose, and based on the man’s behavior, it was the same for him. She smiled devilishly. “Your fiery passion is so strange to us. You clearly have feelings for this human.”

“What kind of feelings, Mother?” teased the stepsisters.

“The kind of feelings I can sense from little Cinderella upstairs,” replied the stepmother, giving the Doctor a mocking smile. “How very cute.”

“I wouldn’t mock me if I were you. If I’m capable of taking your little ‘plaything’ away from you within hours of meeting her then you should be very scared. I don’t give second chances to abusive harlots. And if any more earthquakes come the longer I stay then this little universe you built around a fairytale will crumble… with you around for the ride. So fess up!”

Lady Tremaine let out a soft chuckle, enjoying the quarrel she was involved with. She sensed strong emotions coming from the imposter, and immediately was tempted. Slowly all three began to morph the upper portion of their bodies, showing the Doctor their actual faces for an honest conversation. Their nostrils were quite large, with their beady eyes that still glowed green; their black skin faded into the peachy-colored flesh that they chose not to transform; their faces appeared flat, almost like the crest of a triceratops, with their mouth, eyes, and mouth all centered into one part of their visages.

The Doctor was mildly impressed with their appearance, and also captivated. He couldn’t help himself. “Ooh… you’re gorgeous! All of you! You certainly look better without those human masks you dupe us with!”

"Don’t start mocking us, now!” barked Drizella, her voice soundly slightly altered due to the morph.

“Oh, no, I mean it!” said the Doctor, his eyes lighting up out of pure fascination, taking out his specks for no reason other than to gush. “Out of everything I’ve seen, you ladies are truly unique, and trust me, I’ve seen _a lot_.” Realizing that he was being overly enthusiastic at an inappropriate time, he snapped himself back to the topic, and his eyes soon sharpened. “But now that I know you’re willing to talk now that I’ve seen who you _really_ are…”

“Ha! You think we are willing to reveal our identities?” said Anastasia. “What we want to know is who _you_ are. Don’t think because you’re interfering in our lives that we’re going to spill everything out of our mouths for you. Tell us your name! Where are you from?”

“My name is the Doctor, and I’m not telling you.”

“I said your name! I demand you tell us your name and where you’re from!”

"It’s just The Doctor. And no. Sorry!” He did a little wave, trying to irritate them.

Lady Tremaine gave the stepsister a glance that indicated that she would take over. Anastasia huffed at not being able to finish what she started, but backed down. “Well, then, Doctor… now that we know how Rose came to us, we could say we are truly grateful. After all, we were very hungry after centuries of starving… and without your accident, we would have perished.”

The Doctor glared at them. “Explain yourself.”

“We needed a host,” said Drizella, smiling at the thought. “We can sense possible meals far off into space, and once we found your foreign craft in a state of weakness we entered past its defenses. We were delighted to find your previous human girl, ready for the taking. Our kind have advanced devices, capable of breaching the mind for weaknesses, including that of a sentient ship, no doubt.”

“This… what was it? It was some sort of device capable of rewiring the genetic code and psychological state, correct? It was perfect. There was barely any effort needed to rewrite the girl’s brain. All we needed was a way in…”

 _Rose must have attached her head on the chameleon arch by mistake during the crash_ , thought the Doctor. _They must have sensed her mind through the arch when they invaded my ship._

“It just so happens,” Lady Tremaine continued, “that she had a collection of juicy material for us to trap her in.”

“What on Earth would you want with a fairytale story told through film?” said the Doctor, bewildered.

“It’s not just any moving-picture film, Doctor,” Lady Tremaine said. “We have learned that it is a film that we can exploit. This Cinderella character is a girl everyone abuses… the kind of food we need—suffering, pain, misfortune, fear… it is _delicious_. We devour it until our host could no longer bare it.”

“But why feed off of emotions like sadness? Why not happiness, or joy?”

“There’s no reason not to. We prefer the taste of sadness to happiness, because it’s all too easy to obtain; happiness is such hard work... but only if we cling to a host will we be able to eat. As we speak, little Cinderella is fearful and scared, and we soak it up and enjoy her suffering every single night.”

“Not only is it mouthwatering, but it’s wonderful to watch as she withers and cries, wanting all of the suffering to end,” the stepsisters said in a mocking tone, intended to make the Doctor lash out. “The more we hurt her, the better it tastes.”

The Doctor felt himself grip the doorknob of the house, turning his knuckles white the angrier he got.

_Stay focused._

Letting go of the doorknob, he said in an exasperated tone, “But why build this world with your capabilities? What point is it?”

The three women noted his stress. “How else are we going to consume the fear and sadness if the person isn’t surrounded by the environment of the character in which we create?” Lady Tremaine said matter-of-factly. “They need to _believe_ it… _feel_ it. Trap her old self to keep her alive, and let the suffering never end. She may know she’s not who she is, but she has no memory of you, or whatever pathetic life she used to have. All she has is _us_.”

“Yeah? Well, she has me now!” The Doctor, by now, was short tempered. He didn’t come as far as he did with Cindy to watch them take control. “And look what I’ve done: I’ve managed to change the course of this storyline, all because she met me. And you know what? I demand that you let her go.”

All three barked a laugh. “Why should we? We are starving, Doctor! We have dealt with centuries of starvation! We are so close to the end of the story that her mind has given us. We cannot stop until we’ve eaten it all!”

“I can find you another place to go, a place where you won’t go hungry again. I can bring you on my ship and take you anywhere. Just please let Rose go.” The Doctor was shocked to find that they were pondering about such an offer. Greed was in their eyes, and they didn’t look willing to wait a few more minutes to find another meal. “C’mon, now. No one has offered you a better deal than this!”

“We don’t need you, Doctor!” Drizella snapped. “Who are you to say such things? Who do you think you are, the Almighty God?”

The Doctor smirked. “More like the Oncoming Storm.” Their confused faces made him giggle, and he got the impression that they have never heard of him or what he’s done in the Time War and probably didn’t care either way.

Lady Tremaine was the first to speak after the brief silence. “I warn you, Doctor… _do not_ interfere in our affairs any longer or you will suffer the consequences. Leave her behind. We may control the events, but you are the ultimate threat to tearing it all down. I can see the way you look at our meal, and it is a danger to us. You’ll never have your precious little human back… unless you want to be our next meal?” Her upturned smile was enough to make his skin crawl, but all he felt was rage. The Doctor felt as though logic was taking a back seat, but when it came to his companions, there was no way in hell that he was going to give up.

He gave them an impassive, determined expression. “Then so be it. Be difficult. But it is I that should warn you.”

“Of what?” laughed the women.

“Of me.” He chuckled. “Be afraid.”

* * *

Cindy crept through the house, tiptoeing as quietly as she could across the hall and down the stairs. She spotted the clock—3:30 AM. It was the only time in which she could speak to the Doctor without being watched. All were sleeping soundly in their beds, and neither one would be keeping an eye on her as she did her chores. Cindy felt exhausted from the emotionally draining day, but she had to speak to the Doctor. After what had happened that day, she didn’t want to miss a single second.

As always, she escaped behind the barn, towards the trees where he first found her just days before. She was never told to meet him anywhere, but before he left the house she caught a glance that told her to stick around. The whole time she had listened to him talk to the aliens… and part of her couldn’t believe her eyes or her ears.

_‘The Oncoming Storm’? The Doctor has a reputation?_

Cindy already knew that the Doctor was a mysterious figure, but how mysterious she didn’t know. She had the gut feeling that he was keeping a lot more secrets than what he told her about. She didn’t have the heart to ask him, though. She didn’t want to interfere, and part of her knew that Rose had all the answers to the looming questions.

She heard a few footsteps behind her, and turned around to see a long-coated figure hiding amongst the trees. While still dark, the moon was out, and the figure caught a sliver of moonlight along his body. He said, “Cindy… I’ve got a hell of a lot to talk to you about.”

Cindy smiled, tucking hair behind her ears as her stomach filled with butterflies. “Don’t have to, Doctor. I eavesdropped.”

The Doctor couldn’t help but smile, the pride in his eyes clearly visible to Cindy even in the hour of night. “Oh, you bad, bad girl! I love it!” He ran over to her and gave her a tight squeeze, making her giggle.

"Shh, we have to keep quiet,” she whispered. “We don’t want to wake them up. I don’t know how good of hearing they have.”

“I only stopped by because I wanted to talk to you about the information they told me today. I’m sure it’s quite a shock right now.”

Cindy smirked. “I’m getting used to it.” She found that the Doctor wasn’t letting her leave his arms. Even though he wasn’t showing it, she felt how tense he seemed, as though he were afraid she would die if he didn’t touch her.

“The only way, and possibly the greatest method to getting you out of here, is an important object that you should have,” the Doctor explained. “The TARDIS, when using the chameleon arch, stores your identity in an object of your choice, and if I’m correct on this then I can only assume that the TARDIS and our new friends have a similar if not exactly the same item used to store your memories. I have no idea what it is, but it is something of importance to you and Rose.”

“What do you mean?”

“The reason you became Cinderella is partly due to the aliens, but also due to the power of my ship’s technology.”

“Doctor—”

“It’s possible that the TARDIS sensed what she believed to be a virus attaching itself to the chameleon arch, since she usually does a scan during emergency situations for possible threats from within. As she was programing Rose’s thoughts automatically due to the arch’s accidental activation, it’s likely that she took information from the aliens as they entered the device and used it to her own advantage.”

“Doctor—”

“I want you, at some point during the night, find that possession. Pick random things if you have to. It could be anything. We might have to get things from the TARDIS in order to activate it since she—”

“DOCTOR!”

This time, the Doctor remained quiet and looked right at Cindy, his brown eyes focusing on her face. What he saw was her empathetic expression, looking at him with somber eyes.

“You’re… really gripping me tight, you know,” she said, looking down at his arms that have refused to leave her body. “What’s going on, Doctor? Tell me what’s wrong.”

Embarrassed, the Doctor let her go, which made Cindy wrap her arms around her body to protect herself from the harsh winds.

“Honestly? I’m nervous, Cindy. I don’t admit it very often, but I am. I have no idea what species these beings are, and if I do then they are no longer recognizable. Nor did I even ask since I knew they wouldn’t tell me. I’m scared that I won’t be able to defeat them. I don’t know their strengths, or their faults. All I know is that they have your memories and that they’re willing to hurt you. Granted, they’re only doing what nature intended, but I’m not going to give up. I don’t want to lose you…”

To the Doctor’s surprise, Cindy stood up on her toes and pecked him on the lips, making him tense up. He felt a warm rush of hormones go through him as his hearts hammered at the touch.

“Thank you for going so far for me, Doctor,” she smiled. “For the both of us.”

Like the fool he tended to be around this impossible human girl, he grinned manically while ducking his head, hating the way he reacted to such a simple gesture of affection.

“I don’t want to kick you out, but… I don’t want them catching you sneaking around again.”

“Fair enough,” he said, tenderness in his eyes. “I’ll see you soon.”

With a final hug goodbye, the Doctor left but promised to keep returning. The story was continuing onward, and he needed to be there every step of the way. The aliens in question were going to continue the story line the best they could so they could ruin it, and ruin Rose’s life. Not on the Doctor’s dead body.

The Doctor found that he was lost in his own thoughts on his way back to the TARDIS. It was a slow stroll back, hating himself for having to leave her behind again. It felt like he was regenerating every time.

 _Rose… why do you do this to me? You’re making this so much harder for me than it already is._  


	6. Chapter 6

Exhausted, Cindy climbed up the final stair to her room, opening the door as quietly as she could before eagerly collapsing on the bed sheets. Her head was swimming with so many thoughts that she could hardly think straight. She knew she had to find what the Doctor was talking about, but with little to no personal possessions of her own, she didn’t understand how she could accomplish that goal.

Her eyes started fluttering, and as much as she wanted to stay awake, she found herself drift off, shutting her eyes and letting imagining the covers to be the Doctor’s long coat and she wished her pillow were his chest. Her stepsisters were right about a few things. Cindy did adore him.

But they weren’t real, and never were. Her abusers were imposters in and of themselves, meaning her whole life was programed specifically for their own merit. It was disgusting. She only had to find one object for her life to be rewritten.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a loud, rough earthquake shook the tower, causing her to tumble out of bed in a tangled mess of bed sheets. The earthquake stopped a few moments later, leaving Cindy on the floor with her pillow at her side.

She got up with a groan, hoping that she wasn’t going to fall over again. Being as tired as she was, she didn’t have time to question how powerful the earthquakes have become. The only thought on her mind was the idea of a blissful sleep. She got back into bed and straightened out the covers… until she noticed something shocking: there was nothing on the part of the mattress where her pillow lied. Quickly she checked on the floor and under the covers, praying that she still had it somewhere buried under something on the floor, but it was gone. There was nothing to be found.

“Daddy?” It sounded silly to announce it when she knew he wasn’t physically there, but it felt like losing him all over again. It was the only picture and it was gone, possibly for good.

Cindy didn’t dream of happy thoughts that night.

* * *

The white mare that greeted her every morning couldn’t even cheer Cindy up. She brushed her mane and coat in the stall like she always did, but the happiness that it usually gave her wasn’t there. She felt as though she could no longer feel joy, especially with the knowledge of losing the only picture of her father that wasn’t disposed of by the three women. It was the only gateway to the life that didn’t involve her stepmother or stepsisters ruining her childhood, or at least the memories that were made for her. She imagined her father making her smile and playing games with her, even after a long day of working. She remembered being so young when he died, yet she still felt as though she had a connection with him as his daughter. Cindy laid her head against the white horse’s graceful neck, feeling fatigued and emotionally drained. The last thing she wanted to do was appease the people that took what was left of her away, and was in no rush to exit the stables.

“Hi, Cindy.”

She picked up her head to gaze at the Doctor’s face, whose expression was full of concern for her wellbeing, despite his sad smile. She gave him a sad smile in return, getting the vibe from him that he detected her melancholy mood.

“You shouldn’t be here, Doctor. They’ll see you.”

“Let them. What did they do to you?” His voice sounded somewhat confrontational as he opened the stall door, shut it, and leaned against the wood frame. The horse looked uncomfortable but munched on some hay in the corner, ignoring the people in her stall.

Cindy couldn’t help but laugh at the way he was acting. “If I wasn’t so nice, I would tell you to go kick their butts again, like you did last time.”

The Doctor couldn’t help but bring her towards him, wrapping her in a hug, expecting her to get upset. But she didn’t; she was too impassive to feel any butterflies in her stomach, or even cry. “Cindy… they took something, didn’t they?”

Cindy let out a soft yes, which made the Doctor sigh, exasperated and fed up with the aliens’ antics. “My dad… they took my dad.”

At this, the Doctor blinked his eyes questionably. “What?”

"The only thing I own is a picture of my father that was taken when I was a little girl. I liked to keep it under my pillow every night before I go to bed, so it felt like he was with me. Last night after we talked, I went upstairs and discovered that it was gone. It’s _always_ under my pillow, and has been for a long time. I don’t know how it went missing… but it’s not here anymore.”

A light bulb went off in the Doctor’s head as he smacked his face with his hand. “Oh! Oh, of course!”

Cindy looked up at him, as confused as ever. “What?”

“The hidden item containing your identity! The picture of your father has to be it!”

“What would make you think that—”

“Rose Tyler—her father died when she was a baby. The chameleon arch in the TARDIS must have used Rose’s memories and your memories as a missing link! Because Cinderella lost her father, and Rose lost her father, the machine must have used that similarity as a key to unlock what the aliens stowed away.” He stared at Cindy, his eyes wide and full of excitement. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize this before! Cindy—follow me to the TARDIS!”

Cindy couldn’t even protest before the Doctor grabbed her hand, ran out of the stable and into the woods, where they practically ran back to the Doctor’s spaceship. She was waiting for them to return, the Doctor detecting her warm humming at the presence of her Bad Wolf. The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS and left Cindy in the middle of the room as he bolted down the hallway. Cindy could only stare and shake her head out of bewilderment. She didn’t even bother questioning the Doctor anymore, even if she only knew him for a few days.

The Doctor soon emerged, holding a small picture in his hand as he stopped right in front of her, holding the image directly in her face. “Is this the picture?”

Her eyes were the size of dinner plates at the sight of what he was holding—her father, the exact photo of him, only the photo was taken digitally. It wasn’t the photo she had since she was a child, but it was still the same picture of him. She couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Oh, my god,” she explained. “But… with me holding it, why can’t I remember anything about you, or this ship, or anything? If this is what brings my identity back, then why can’t I feel it?”

“Because we need the photo that was stolen from you. The TARDIS used this same picture on purpose, and that was for it to correlate with yours. If we get both of them we’ll get you memories back!” The Doctor’s grin was huge, which made Cindy’s smile just as big. She suddenly felt excited at the new information, and couldn’t wait until the picture would be retrieved again.

“Any plans for getting a picture back from ravenous aliens who want to kill me?”

“It’s going to be a very basic—and possibly very stupid—plan, but considering the circumstances and how little our options are, we’re going to have to go with it.”

“Tell me all about it, Doctor!”   

* * *

Drizella and Anastasia bounded up and down the house, happy as ever as Lady Tremaine looked onward with an amused expression. Cindy tidied one of her stepmother’s bedrooms in the background, where everyone was gathered to hear the good news.

“I cannot believe that there’s going to be a Ball for the first time in years!” shouted Drizella, all smiles.

“I just hope we have something to wear! We might have to go shopping for some new clothes!”

Cindy rolled her eyes, knowing that the aliens were trying too hard to keep to their characters when she knew that it was all a setup. Regardless, she didn’t want to get bitten again, and it was best to stay on their good side. She eyed her stepmother, glancing to see if her dress had a pocket. To her luck, one was at her side, and she could even see a slight indentation of something inside.

_Thank goodness she wore something with a pocket today._

“Of course, Cinderella has too much to do around here for her to go anyplace fun, like the palace!” said Anastasia, laughing directly in Cindy’s face.

“Now, now, Anastasia,” Lady Tremaine said, walking over to Cindy as she finished dusting a grand piano that the sisters used to practice their singing and musical instruments. “Don’t shove all the fun in her face like that. After all, it is disappointing for her to know that if she disobeys there would be very harsh punishments.” Cindy scooted farther away from her, remembering the hideous face and green eyes of the predator that lied beneath the human masks. It was a warning to keep being under their thumbs.

As always, Cindy wasn’t letting them have too much of a good time. “I’m still apart of this family, you know. I have just as much of a right to go to this Ball as any other girl in town. They did say ‘every eligible maiden is to attend’, after all.”

“Since when are you eligible, and capable of having any chances with the Prince?” Drizella snapped, snickering to herself as Anastasia joined in.

Lady Tremaine let a small smile show through at her daughters’ comments, but told Cinderella, “As long as you behave…”

“Don’t worry, I will!” Cindy said, trying to look as though the three were still in charge of her thoughts and feelings. “I’ll do all my chores and do everything you ask me to!” Lady Tremaine gave her a questionable glare, but went along with Cindy’s words.

“In that case, get that piano cleaned up; we need to practice our music lessons!” Cindy hopped right to it, eyeing Lady Tremaine’s pocket as she finished off the legs of the grand piano. The stepsisters were arguing over whose turn it was to sing or play the flute as their mother tried to break up the fight, and just in time for Cindy to finish doing what they have asked.

Without a thank you, they started their music lesson; her stepmother sat down at the piano while the stepsisters smoothed out their dresses and prepared. Before Cindy could even try to snag the item in Lady Tremaine’s pocket, the devil herself barked at her. “Go grab us a light snack and some lemonade, if that’s not too much trouble.”

“Yes, Stepmother,” Cindy obliged, walking towards the door. Just before she passed her stepmother, she grabbed the item in her pocket swiftly and easily, the woman hardly noticing. Cindy hid what she knew to be a key in her own pocket as she went out the door, shutting it behind her in order to block out the lack of talent in the room.

Cindy could hardly contain her glee. She ran down the stairs and stepped out the door, finding that the Doctor was waiting, a smile on his face at the knowledge that she got it. “I can’t believe this simple plan is working, but it is!”

“Don’t jinx it!” the Doctor said, rushing inside. “I don’t even know if that’s where it’s hidden.”

“Well, I’m always in her bedroom, so I know where and what she keeps her stuff in,” explained Cindy, rushing down the hallways with him as he located Lady Tremaine’s den. “And I think I know just the place where she uses that key!”

Rushing inside, Cindy showed him a small drawer, where she usually noticed Lady Tremaine putting some of her items inside whenever she was in the room, whether it be cleaning her bed or subject to her whims. “But I must ask, why not use that pen thing?”

“What pen thing?”

“Your pen. It glows blue at the top. I saw you use it a few times in the marketplace. Can’t it open stuff up?”

“Weeeellll, it can open anything… except wood.”

Cindy stared at him, dumbstruck. “That’s rubbish.”

“Oh, don’t I know it.”

Handing him the key, Cindy awaited the opportunity to grab her father’s picture, but winced at the sound of her stepmother’s voice.

“CINDERELLA!”

“Cindy, go!” said the Doctor, getting the drawer open and grabbing the picture. “Just give them what they want before they investigate!”

Cindy rushed out the door, trying her best to keep quiet and be quick at the same time. The Doctor quickly took the picture from the TARDIS out of his pocket, but found that he was having trouble figuring out just how he can activate Rose’s memories. It confused him as he had the two pictures in his hand, frantically trying to come up with a plan. He wasn’t fast enough.

“I think I’ll be taking these!”

Lady Tremaine was glaring down at him now, her eyes glowing a bright green as the stepsisters came up behind her, Cindy in their grasp. She didn’t even reach the stairs before they ran after her. Cindy was struggling to get free of their grip, but at the sight of the Doctor getting caught, she slacked, knowing now that it was over.

“Of all plans to come up with, I would have expected something much better than this,” Lady Tremaine said smugly.

“Well you don’t give me much to go on considering your universe has my ship under construction!” Lady Tremaine only laughed as took the picture she held in her hands and ripped it in two.   

“NO!” Cindy cried, grappling with the stepsisters to grab what remained of the old photo, but it was hopeless. To add to her turmoil, a headache soon came after the photo’s tearing; it felt as though her eyes were going to explode as her brain was set on fire. The Doctor gapped at the event that took place, wishing it weren’t real, and without thinking about his own safety, attempted to grab what was left of the photo from the stepmother. He admitted it wasn’t his best plan, but with so little options, he didn’t have a choice but to improvise. In the blink of an eye, Lady Tremaine transformed into her true alien form, pinning him down and revealing a pair of sharp, hooked fangs. Poised for a biting, Lady Tremaine made sure she dominated the scene, making herself look bigger and more powerful than she was before.

With a loud hiss, she proclaimed, “Our race is not nearly as patient as we are now. We rarely show such mercy, but with our starvation we hang on to every last drop of that girl’s precious energy, for we are far too weak to take measures into our own hands. We have given you enough chances, Doctor, and this is your last warning! Stay away from her, or I will burn what’s left of her identity in the fireplace. Do you understand me, you filthy nuisance? ANSWER ME!”

The Doctor looked over at Cindy, who still looked in pain, and his first instinct was to retort at the creature in front of him and not show any mercy of his own, but it wouldn’t stop the anger. They would only get angrier, and possibly kill Cindy or him. He had no idea what they were capable of, and even weak they had enough audacity to take him down as easily as they did. Even as an earthquake erupted through the house, they didn’t flinch. The longer they fed off of Cindy, the stronger they became. Which got him thinking…

“Why not just destroy her identity from the start, then?” The question that came from him made the three aliens quizzical, confused by his choice of a response. “Why let her keep it? Of all things you feed on, you feed on pain, and here she is now suffering in front of your eyes as you tear that picture up! If you’re so desperate, why not just burn the bloody thing already?”

This time, Drizella answered him, her expression manic. “Destroy it and she goes with it. She will be nothing but a hollow husk, walking around like a half-dead corpse without emotion or a care. Her soul will not remain in tact. We only want to live off of her to fend off our hunger, you worthless insect! We can only give so many warnings.”

“You think of us as selfish,” added Anastasia, her glare hinted directly at him. “Aren’t you just as guilty? Look at you, wanting to desperately get the girl you love back because you don’t want to leave alone, and risking all of our lives because of it; you’re no less foul than you seem to think we are.”

For the first time in a long time, especially in his new body, the Doctor fell silent. Of course they didn’t talk about his loneliness as though they knew his entire history, but the point still stood: he didn’t want to leave alone. He wanted to be with Rose… because being by himself only reminded him of the pain and the anguish. Not to mention that he wanted to be with Rose because he cared about her, almost too much. It was all he wanted. Companionship. They were throwing it back into his face and all he could do was gape like a fish.

Quick as lightning, Lady Tremaine bit down into the Doctor’s arm, which caused him to snap out of his trance and scream.

“NO!” Cindy shouted, despite the pain she felt. “STOP IT!” She knew it was in vain, however, because she could do nothing about the bite. As the aliens that gripped her arms grew stronger, she knew that the venom they had would be much more potent from when they bit her. She could only wish that the Doctor could get himself out of it, though it was slim chance.

“Dispose of him!” shouted Lady Tremaine, turning back to the stepsisters. The Doctor lay motionless on the ground, his eyes fluttering as he fought to stay conscious. He spotted Lady Tremaine picking up the torn picture of Cindy’s father, noticing how the picture was emulating a gold light of some sort, but didn’t have time to think as he felt himself go cold.

The pain in Cindy’s head was too strong, and she had to sit down and breathe through it as her stepsisters dragged the Doctor out of the door, trying not to see him writhing in pain. Just as the pain in her skull was subsiding, Lady Tremaine came over and slapped her across the cheek, hard.

“Get up, you wench!” she shouted. “You’re in enough trouble as it is. And don’t you dare think that defying me will work this time. Do as I say, and follow my lead, or you’ll end up like him!” She pointed down the hallway to emphasize her point, but all Cindy could do was numb her reaction to the situation, getting up from the floor and walking out the door. She rushed to her bedroom, to safety, since it was the highest place she could go to get away. She still felt achy, but it wasn’t enough to stop her from climbing the stairs.

Upon reaching her room, she opened the door and slammed it, leaning against it as she felt tears coming on. This time… she let them fall hard. She cringed on the floor, crying in her lap as the little hope she had left faded away.


	7. Chapter 7

For a moment he felt the cold breeze of the night, with the grass on his face and the symptoms of the bite overwhelming his senses: his organs felt as though they were failing; hot liquid rose in the back of his throat as the stomachache that once plagued Cindy turned into what felt like several ulcers stabbing at his gut. All over he felt as though he were on fire. There was little time for him to do much of anything now, for he knew he had only minutes to live.

Sufficing all the strength he could muster, he stood up, noticing his surroundings and recognized that it wasn’t far from the TARDIS. He sprinted, feeling his hearts ache but kicked in his respiratory bypass to get through the last few yards. The TARDIS hummed with concern as he approached, opening her doors immediately for him as he tumbled inside, rasping and unable to move back up. Squirming on the ground as the venom continued to consume him; he knew he wasn’t going to make it. He wondered how he was going to officially die for millennia now.

Confusion was all he could feel other than pain, and he could hardly stand up. It was difficult to breathe, and he knew for the few moments he had before he blacked out that the venom injected into him was fatal. It was only logical for the aliens to not kill Cindy, and instead use a more potent dosage against him. Needless to say it was agonizing, his head swimming as he could barely open his eyes to see his beautiful ship. He felt her presence… and sent so many warm signals to her, to tell her how much he appreciated his ship for being the only friend he could depend on in times of turmoil.

Gold light tore through him moments after his final goodbyes to the TARDIS, and he opened his eyes to see blurry visions of light coming towards him.

 _The Bad Wolf…?_  

It didn’t feel like the time vortex was going to rip through him, because he felt it before and what the light was doing was nowhere near as lethal. He knew it was the TARDIS, but it was nothing like the time vortex that had changed his face. Knowing just about everything regarding the TARDIS, the Doctor didn’t realize that he could discover something new about his ship. He didn’t feel himself regenerating, and the more the light continued to explode all around him, mental as well as physical relief flooded his senses. The symptoms resided, and no longer was his life threatened. As quickly as the light came, it slowly faded out. The Doctor sighed, his body relaxing as he turned to his side, resting his cheeks on the cool surface of the floor.

It was regeneration energy. The TARDIS had residual regeneration energy, most likely stored in her heart. The Doctor wanted to laugh with glee at this knowledge, having wondered for ages if the TARDIS had the ability to heal physical wounds as well as mental. If the TARDIS were a Time Lord he would kiss her.

He started laughing weakly, exhausted from the long fight with the venom that pulsed through his veins. “You’re amazing, old girl.”

And with that, he was out.

* * *

The only sounds Cindy could hear were the crickets outside and the distant clip clopping of horses’ hooves on stone roads. Those same horses were drawing carriages, which carried the very monsters that caused her nothing but grief.

They knew that in order to move the story along, Cindy would have to go to the Ball through other means. Cindy especially knew this as an essential part of the storyline, but couldn’t figure out how she could go to the Ball without the tools she needed. If anything she wanted to go out and find the Doctor, to know for certain if he was dead or not. For all she knew he could never be found, but she was too frightened of the aliens. She hated admitting it, but she didn’t want to face them alone, and just assuring herself of the Doctor’s fate was enough to give her closure. She was terrified of going out to search for him, only to find his body covered in blood. Dead.

Even if he was gone, Cindy had her fighting spirit back, and the fighting spirit told her that, despite not wanting to, she needed to go to the Ball. The problem was how, and in _what_.

She looked down at her dull dress, wishing it were a gown so she would look somewhat presentable. However, she had no money, and by now the Ball had already started. She heaved a sigh, wandering into the garden in the backyard and went under the willow trees. The night was warm, despite the moon rising. She noticed a white marble bench that hadn’t been sat on for many years, and chose to sit on it for the sake of not sitting on the ground. Cindy hadn’t felt so alone in what felt like years, and it was painful to feel like that again. Just days ago the Doctor was her only friend, and now that he gone, it felt emptier than she ever felt before. She didn’t need a man to live a life of her own despite her dreams of having a husband off somewhere in the forests, but being so drawn to the Doctor made her feel as though she had a drive and a plan. It comforted her to know that she could possibly have a life after all of this madness. Once more, she was too tired to even cry, and could only feel the deepest sadness she had not felt since the death of her father.

A sudden glow interrupted her thoughts, however, as she noticed a soft glowing light materialize beside her. It was a large, golden form vibrating next to her on the bench, looking warm and inviting despite its foreign presence. The mere sight of it took her by surprise, and she had to shield her eyes as she stood up to face it. It didn’t feel dangerous, but Cindy was on guard in case she guessed wrong.

“What are you? What do you want?”

What the entity did next surprised her, for the tendrils of gold energy were the only things moving.

_"Do not be afraid, Rose Tyler. I am here to help you.”_

At the mention of her true name, she uncovered her eyes to notice that the glowing had dimmed.

“Help me?” Cindy said quietly. “How?”  

_"I don’t have much time… but I have seen what has been happening over the course of a few days. I have been too weak to get involved, but now that some of my power has been restored, I can now intervene.”_

Cindy had so many questions, but after everything that’s been happening, she chose to ignore all the nagging curiosities and go along with what the light was saying.

“How do you know that name? Are you involved with the Doctor?”

_"I am very close to him, dear… and I know you through him. I have seen the two of you blossom and grow over the course of several months now; ever since he lost his family, he’s been so alone. I’ve haven’t seen him as happy as I see him now in an eternity.”_

_Lost his family? Why hasn’t he talked to me about this?_ Secrets. They nagged at her now, as if her brain had enough questions to answer.

The glowing entity started to fade in and out slowly, which caught Cindy’s attention again as she made her way back to the bench to sit beside it. Tentatively she reached out to feel what was in front of her, only to feel a warm sensation on her fingers. It felt like warm silt in hot water on the beach, and was comforting to her. She felt the need to trust it now, for it felt so familiar in a very spiritual way that she could hardly understand.

_"There isn’t much I can do for you, Rose. The only thing that I can offer you is a possibility to succeed in this hazardous world.”_

“The only thing I ask for is to see the Doctor again. Do you know how he’s doing? Is he alive?”

_"You’ll see him again. Patience. Regardless… you have to go. And I can assist you with that.”_

Cindy didn’t protest as the light glowed brighter, engulfing Cindy. The gold light slowly travelled up Cindy’s body, sending tendrils straight towards her skin. The moment they touched her, it sent warmth throughout her body in generous amounts. Gasping in amazement, Cindy couldn’t believe what was going on as she, too, started to glow.

She stared into the light that was everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. She only wanted to know one thing before the light disappeared.

“You never told me who you are. Who are you?”

The light that somehow had a voice only spoke once more.

_"Your fairy godmother.”_

* * *

Lady Tremaine stepped out of the coach as her daughters followed, their faces filled with glee, though not because of the idea of meeting the Prince. They talked amongst themselves as they climbed the stairs and entered the palace.

“We’re almost there!” said Drizella, practically jumping up and down.

“Just another day and we’ll finish her off,” Anastasia added, giving her sister a tight hug.

Lady Tremaine listened to the joy in their voices, smiling to herself knowing that the next generation would survive another day. They could go without food for several centuries, but after a century too long they were as desperate as hungry sharks at the smell of blood. Several have perished over the years, and if it weren’t for Rose then they would have starved along with the rest of their kind. Of course they weren’t going to share. Such scarcity won’t be wasted.

“We might have to wait for the opportunity to drift to another galaxy to escape our planet’s desolation,” Lady Tremaine explained. “Rose Tyler will be our last meal before we head off.”

“Can’t we use the Doctor’s spaceship?” asked Drizella. “We don’t know where it is or what it looks like, but we can use it to our advantage now that he’s dead. Why wait?”

“I doubt he’d leave knowing that his precious little human girl is gone,” Anastasia joked, mocking him. “What a sad whelp. Still, it’s worth a shot. We don’t know his species yet, but once we know what he is it’ll give us some insight into what technology he uses.”

Lady Tremaine butted in. “His blood did not taste human. It was a very different flavor, one that I swear I had encountered before. It has been so long since I last tasted it, but I can’t recall. The only clue we have is what he called himself: The Oncoming Storm. Does that ring a bell at all to you, daughters?”

The stepsisters knew that it lied at the tip of their tongue, but the question still stood. Regardless, with the knowledge of the Doctor being dead they knew it would be easy to find him and his ship nearby. No matter what, they were going to survive beyond their little galaxy far, far away.

* * *

_What on earth am I going to do?_

The Ball, Cindy on her way, the aliens that were tracking his every move; the Doctor was stuck. He hated feeling so damn useless and out of ideas. If he dared to enter the palace, then they would know that their venom didn’t kill him, risking Cindy’s life even further. Yet if he did go, he would ensure her protection and get the pictures back from Lady Tremaine and satisfy his longing need to be with her.  

_She’d be the most beautiful creature in the room._

He imagined her in a dress similar to how it was in the animated film, but it was difficult to picture something beyond his comprehension. Rose and Cindy weren’t drawn images, but real people in front of his own eyes. He didn’t know what they’d look like at the Ball unless he found out himself.

“Doctor, you are an idiot. You’re brilliant, but you’re an idiot.” He felt the TARDIS hum beneath him, almost as though she were responding to his comment. The Doctor assumed it was a laugh. “How can I stand them? How do humans deal with these… _chemicals_ inside of them, bouncing around without restrictions like some wild animal? Dopamine, phenylethylamine, norepinephrine… It’s ridiculous! Oh, damn it all, I might as well stay here and keep my sanity!”

He realized how human he acted nowadays, and it was bad enough that he was still adjusting to his new body and personality. Each of his regenerations were apart of who he was, and his current one was no different. His current body involved such complicated feelings, ones that he normally repressed, and yet this body was so attuned to everything in a way that he never encountered before. And this included Rose Tyler.

The Doctor swore, confused and overwhelmed at all the new information coming at him. He could feel his hearts pounding and his breathing quicken, mostly due to adrenaline and nerves.

_Those large brown eyes that light up when she smiles, and the way her nose wrinkles when she laughs…_

In the pit of his stomach he felt a knot tighten the more he sat and did nothing. “Bloody hell…” he grumbled to himself, stomping away to the nearby dressing room.

* * *

Cindy never thought that a pumpkin could change into a coach, or that mice could morph into horses, or that her favorite mare in the stables could be a coachwoman. Even on the way over, she could hardly grasp what had happened. Everything felt so fake and unrealistic, but whenever she looked down in her lap, seeing how lovely her blue-white dress felt on her skin and how pretty it made her feel, she wanted to forget that it was all somehow the result of magic. Of course, the glass slippers she had on her feet reminded her how real it really was.

“Damn, these hurt,” she grumbled.

She took off the glass slippers to let her feet have a rest before she reached the palace, but she couldn’t get away from the notion that something was wrong. Ever since she realized that her stepmother and stepsisters were aliens, she started questioning everything around her, even the ground she walked on. Was she really walking on dirt? Did the bench she recently sat on really exist? Has she been washing real floors and dishes? Is _she_ real? Is the _Doctor_ even real?

“Okay, Cinderella… stop jumping to conclusions,” she told herself, taking in a deep breath and touching her hair. “If you want to get out of here, you have to stay calm, go along with what the aliens want, sneak those pictures away from them, and get away from this place once and for all. Yeah…” She convinced herself. “Sounds about right.” She looked at the floor gloomily. “And even if the Doctor’s dead, I’ll try to figure out how to fly his ship and go somewhere else. Shouldn’t be so hard.”

She didn’t convince herself of that.

Eventually Cindy reached the palace, the size of it leaving her speechless. Part of her could hardly wait to walk its floors and experience something new, and reluctantly she put the glass slippers back on to do some much needed investigating. Every step was pure agony, but it wasn’t enough to stop her from getting those pictures back. Lady Tremaine had kept them in her pocket, and despite the fact that they knew about her appearance at the Ball, keeping it close to her was better than leaving it at home where Cindy could have easily obtained it. They were arrogant enough to assume that she wouldn’t dare try to pickpocket them, even though they knew how persistent she was.

Admiring the sheer size of the estate took her long enough, for she took in every ounce of beauty she could. She found herself almost getting lost before she followed the sound of people in a singular room close to the second floor. The hall she walked down was dimly lit, which made her even more nervous at the thought of entering such a large area where it was so bright and filled with crystal chandeliers. She felt her stomach churn at the idea of being the center of attention, knowing that the aliens were always watching. She tentatively approached the light before she was taken by surprise.

“Hello, Miss.” Cindy turned to see a handsome man with black hair and nearly jumped out of her skin. The man looked like royalty, and wore red pants with a light tan uniform, and had a friendly and awestruck expression on his face. She presumed it was the Prince himself, judging from the fact that he was one of the only males in the entire Ballroom. “I couldn’t help but notice you all the way by the throne, and you by far have to be the most beautiful maiden I’ve ever seen. Do… do you care for a dance?”

Immediately she was on edge as he held out his hand, bowing slightly. She glanced back at the Ballroom, and like an elephant in the room she spotted them, with their eyes glowing a noticeable green color. They were staring, waiting for her to come to the center of the room and go along with whatever this Prince was talking about.

_If it’s a way to get close enough to them…_

“Of course. I’d love to,” she replied, trying to force a smile. He irked her more than Lady Tremaine at the moment, but didn’t have a choice in the matter as she joined hands with him and followed him into the threshold. And as if on cue, the lights in the room dimmed as the very center of the ballroom lit up for the couple to dance, making Cindy feel sick. Again she looked at her stepmother and stepsisters, and both were staring intensely. She gulped down her fear and tried to keep her cool as the Prince put her hand on her waist, following his steps as the classical music played in the background.

For a few minutes, she danced around the ballroom with the Prince, who was smiling the whole time, not taking his eyes off her face. At times she had to shift her eyes away from his to avoid his uncomfortable gaze. She pretended to like it, though, simply because she knew that _they_ were watching.

_How long is this dance, anyway? This is taking forever!_

For a split second as she dared to look back at his smiling face, she saw something strange form in his eyes. He looked happy, but the state of mind he was in felt mechanical and forced, almost programed. She couldn’t figure out why he was like this, but as she glanced around her, every guest looked the same: giddy and immersed in the atmosphere and towards her and the Prince dancing in the center. As everyone soon came into the center to dance around them, feelings of claustrophobia made the situation for Cindy ten times worse. It felt eerie and disturbing, enough to make her face go pale. She didn’t feel the least bit safe.

_Is this some sort of trick?_

She looked around for the stepmother and stepsisters, but they were lost in the crowd, meaning that they couldn’t see her either. She feared that they were somehow still hovering nearby, ready to spring if she attempted at doing anything foolish despite her need to get her picture back.

As her mind wandered, the Prince danced with her away from the large crowd, separating them from the madness as he took her hands in his and guided her outside. Cindy soon snapped out of her anxious state to realize what was happening, but the Prince’s actions were more frightening to her than the ballroom.

 _No way in hell am I going to fall for this again!_  

* * *

The Doctor sat by the enormous water fountain just outside the ballroom, watching the water flow over the statues and the moonlight emphasizing every drop. The animated sequence he recalled in the movie was all he could imagine about now, with the scene looking more beautiful in real life. There was so much blue, the lighting coming from the large castle that lit up the garden as though it had bioluminescence. As blue as it was, he didn’t feel the least bit sad... and if anything, quite flustered.

He fiddled with the suit he wore, and despite how modern the attire looked it was one of the only good suits he had. He hardly used it during his adventures since it was a very bold white tuxedo, and he almost felt it was appropriate for this adventure in particular. He wondered why he even bothered to put so much time into picking out something to wear back at the TARDIS.

_Oh, you know why, you idiot._

He couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t stay away. The Doctor was going to regret it, but he didn’t care. It was unhealthy, the way he was thinking, because he wanted Rose so badly that it was just plain atrocious. He managed to let himself fall hard during such an emotionally unpredictable time in his life, and it pained him to watch himself become a victim of it.

_It’s only because I’ve lost everything. She’s the first companion in a long while, Doctor. Now snap out of it before you get hurt. You know you won’t get what you want._

He couldn’t do much about it now. He was already there, waiting, knowing that she would come out of the ballroom with the Prince and walk about the garden.

He felt as though he had a fever, with his hearts pounding out of the natural fear of the unknown, and he knew that the rush of emotions firing all at once inside his body were the cause of it. He denied it in front of Rose. He denied it in front of Mickey the Idiot. He denied it in front of Jack and when he had big ears and a daft old face. He couldn’t deny it now.

All he could do was wait, consumed by anxiety yet managing to keep himself steady. Sooner or later he would have to let everything out.

His ears picked up the sound of voices, and his instincts told him that it was Cindy and the Prince. The mere thought of the Prince automatically irritated him, but he convinced himself to be civil. Sure enough, he spotted them not too far away by a short little bridge that hung over a small stream.

 _I shouldn’t… but I really, really,_ really _want to._

As quietly as he could muster, he tiptoed closer to the bridge, hiding behind a few bushes and trees so that he wouldn’t be seen. The Prince looked particularly interested in Cindy (for she did look lovely), and was trying too hard to converse with her. Even from a distance the Doctor could sense Cindy’s disinterest.

Cindy, on the other hand, didn’t like how close the Prince was to her. As handsome as he was, she wasn’t going to let his visage get in the way of her suspicion. She was tense and firm throughout the time the Prince courted her, and no matter how hard she addressed how uninterested she was, he wasn’t giving up.

“I haven’t seen you at other Balls before, Miss,” the Prince said, still holding her hand. “But I must say, it has been a pleasure—”

“Okay, enough of this,” Cinderella butted in as she tore his hand away from hers, suspicious enough to stop him from wooing her over any further. She got close to his face, her eyes like daggers to let him know that she was the boss. “I’ve seen things I never thought existed before, and when I think something weird is happening, I _know_ that something weird is happening. You’re no Prince; you never were a Prince! Do you think I’m this stupid to fall for something like this?”

Like she expected, she noticed the Prince’s eyes shift to green, as his stare intensified. His smile now looked all the more terrifying as his face morphed slightly to reveal the ugly black creature underneath. “And we were having so much fun!” it purred.

Cindy sneered, getting her hands away from him as he drew ever closer, touching her hair as his nostrils flared. He took in as much as her scent as he could. “They won’t be the only ones to have a taste of you.”

“Get away from me!” Cindy declared. “I’ll scream if you don’t!”

Of course, the creature wasn’t going to listen. Before it could get the chance to strike, however, a sudden tap on his shoulder stopped him. Confused, he turned around with his fangs still bare.

“Hello! Sorry to bother you, sir, but it is extremely impolite to impose yourself on a woman in such a way. Because, quite honestly, there’s no way in hell that you’re going to get lucky with an attitude like that.” He took out his sonic screwdriver, extending the device to prepare its activation. Upon making the top of the screwdriver glow, the usual soft buzzing that came from it intensified into a boisterous alarm. The sound was painful to the creature’s ears, and it squealed in agony as it tried to block it out.

To the Doctor’s utter surprise, Cindy grabbed a large tree branch close by, smacking the ‘Prince’ in the face at it fell head-over-heels off the bridge and into the water.

“I thought it could only open doors?” Cindy said to the Doctor, throwing the tree branch off the bridge.

The Doctor looked down at the alien that was struggling at getting out of the water. “Don’t question it, just point and laugh at the silly little alien flailing in the water!” To emphasize his point, he waved his fingers at the Prince below while giving him a sarcastic smile.

An earthquake, as always, was quick to ruin any scene as it made its entrance clear throughout the garden area. Cindy and the Doctor were quick to grab onto the bridge, but it too was beginning to fail. A huge crack broke through the land and towards the small river underneath the bridge, water pouring into it as the drowning Prince fell through along with it. The crack was deep, but not deep enough to see the Prince’s body crash to the ground. The Doctor didn’t expect to commit a murder, but with both him and Cindy in danger of joining him, he trusted his instincts to grab onto her.

Before the bridge broke apart completely, Cindy and the Doctor jumped to safety on the other side close to the forest. The earth tremors eventually stopped, creating the largest crack in the earth to date where the bridge and river used to sit. To the Doctor, it marked one of the most important changes in the story thus far, and he didn’t know if it was a good or bad thing.

Cindy and the Doctor stared at the scene before them, amazed yet frightened of the idea of being heard by the rest of the guests inside the house. To their relief, no one bothered to look, which was strange, but they were only happy to be alive.

The Doctor looked back at Cindy, who he held in his arms as they sat on the grass, and Cindy looked back at him before a pair of huge smiles spread across their faces. Cindy immediately tackled him, wrapping his arms around hers as she did the same, pressing her cheek against his chest.

“Oh, my gosh, DOCTOR!” she gasped, squeezing him hard enough to collapse a lung. “You’re alive! I can’t believe that you’re alive, but you’re ALIVE!”

“Yep, that’s me, alive and well!” the Doctor jovially replied, laughing along with her.

“I thought you died! What happened to you?”

“Honestly? I have no clue! One minute I was choking on my own fluids and the next, I was fine!” Cindy didn’t care how clueless he was about his predicament. All she cared about was that he was physically there beside her. She continued to hug him, afraid that if she let go then he’ll follow suit.

Their laughter was contagious for them both, for they couldn’t seem to stop smiling. For a short while they could only stay silent, grinning like children on Christmas day and feeling shy, butterflies in their stomachs.

“C’mon!” Cindy said. “Let’s get out of here!” Leaving her glass slippers behind (since they by now have made small cuts on her feet), the Doctor didn’t protest and took her hand in his. With one hand lifting her dress off the ground and the other in his, Cindy ran with him into the forest where the light was scarce and where they were alone.

The forest was dark, yet a sliver of light escaped the trees and cast itself along the contours of their bodies. They could hardly see with the little moonlight available, but managed to drift deep into the forest where they knew they couldn’t be tracked down. Their breathing somewhat labored, they caught their breath in a small clearing where a large oak firmly attached its roots.

The Doctor could hardly sit down before Cindy was in his arms again, and he happily accepted her warmth, making his body relax at her touch. He had to ask about her wellbeing. “Are you okay?”

“I am now,” she said, smiling up at him. “It was just… awful in there. They kept watching me, and I kept getting eerie feelings and—” She let out a sigh. “Oh, forget it.”

“Oh, no!” the Doctor said. “Please tell me what happened. I haven’t seen you in a day, and while that doesn’t seem like a very long time, it means a lifetime for this universe.”

“Well… I mean, I was _trying_ to find a way to snatch the pictures that Lady Tremaine had in her pocket, but that damn Prince grabbed me first! I got the strangest sensation from that room. Like there was an audience.”

“I tried to grab the pictures myself, actually,” the Doctor replied. “I got there before you did and got close enough to grab them in her pockets, but there were too many people there. It almost felt as if they were watching my every move, too, like you described. You’re right… it was strange.”

“No worries! We’re away from that, now. We might as well enjoy it.”

“But don’t we need to—”

Cindy put a finger to his lips, shutting him up instantly. “There’s nothing we can do, Doctor. Everyone was watching the both of us, and since that big earthquake, who knows what would happen next. It was best that we left, or else they would have caught us by now. I’m not surprised if they start adding you to the menu.”

The Doctor snickered. “Point taken. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.” He walked over to the large oak, staring at how huge it was before setting himself down, taking off the outer layer of his suit. He rested his head against the bark, sighing. Cindy wasn’t far behind as she sat close to him, resting her body against his as he let her head rest on his shoulder. The more she saw him, the more she began to question everything that was said to her by the ‘fairy godmother’. She felt as though she had to ask about what was told to her, even though part of her felt that it was painful for him.

“You look good in white,” Cindy spoke quietly. She couldn’t bring herself to ask. His eyes told a lot of stories, and after seeing them so many times, she saw a tortured and damaged soul. As independent and strong-willed as he was, deep down she could see that he was vulnerable in other ways. It broke her heart. She knew better than to bring up painful memories. “You’re usually in that long tan coat all the time. You look really sharp without it.”

The Doctor looked back at her, with her large doe eyes staring up at him. He gave a lopsided smile, feeling bashful by the compliment. “What, this old thing? I’m too skinny in it.”

Cindy rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop, you big baby. You’re not _that_ skinny.”

The Doctor looked at her as though she were daft.

Cindy stared back before replying to the humorous look he was giving her. “I’ll take your word for it, then.”

“Well, might as well do something a little different while you run for your life,” the Doctor laughed, giving her a coy smile. “But by far you’ve beaten me in that department.”

Cindy blushed, ducking her head. Butterflies and nerves fluttered around inside of him, making him feel jittery and giddy at the sight of her with him. He didn’t know why he felt so nervous; it was only Rose Tyler, after all—his best mate. Yet that beautiful dress fit her like a glove, the color of the fabric lighting up her face and her blonde hair that was wrapped up in a French braid. It was hard to stay focused.

“I mean it, though,” he said to her, catching her attention. He looked at her up and down, warmth going through him. “You look beautiful.”

Embarrassed, Cindy’s face blushed a brighter red, causing her to feel butterflies of her own. Her head was filled with nothing but hormones, and it all pointed to the same idea. She loved how handsome he looked that night, and the pressure from the events that occurred that day only made that fun spirit inside of her humble itself. She tried to be patient and wait for the right moment.

“There’s one thing I still don’t understand, though,” she asked him. “How did you survive? The bite would have easily killed you.”

The Doctor’s eyebrows met in thought as he drifted off to find the right words to say. “It was odd. I managed to get to the TARDIS since they tossed me near the line of trees past the village, but after that it was a bit of a blur. All I could remember was this gold light… shining brilliantly as though it were the sun. The TARDIS has a mechanism called the time vortex, which is her heart that helps her function and work properly. But this gold light was different. See, my race has the ability to heal and regenerate our cells, and as a result we end up changing our entire bodies to compensate for that. My TARDIS must have had residual regeneration energy built up somewhere, in what I can presume to be the time vortex. I’ve absorbed it before, hence why I look the way I do now, yet what she did to help me contradicted the nature of the vortex. It had a comforting tone to it that made me feel as though I were being healed by a unique force. And before I knew it, it passed right through me and I was healed up. It was quite an experience.”

Cindy’s eyes widened as she left her mouth agape. “I saw the same thing!”

The Doctor’s eyes widened as well. “What are you on about?”

“After the three left for the Ball and I was alone, I went into the backyard to think about how I could get there and, well, mainly mourn you… and then I saw this flash of gold light. It started talking to me.”

The Doctor was pleasantly surprised at the notion that the gold light was more alive than he thought. “What did it say to you, Cindy?”

“It didn’t really talk since it had no distinct shape, but it talked to me through my head? It sounds daft when I say it like that. It told me that it knew you, and that I was going to see you again and that that it was going to help me. When I touched it, it felt so warm and comforting. It was the one that got me to the Ball, and made me this dress and the coach outside the castle.”

“Of course!” the Doctor exclaimed. “The fairy godmother!”

Cindy gave him a puzzled look. “How do you know about that?”

“It’s apart of the story you’re fixed into. The fairy godmother is a magical being, most likely a mythical creature of some sort, who grants Cinderella her wish to go to the Ball, and she creates all the things you described for you to accomplish that goal. The TARDIS must have used Rose as catalyst to reach you. She absorbed the time vortex herself to save me once, and the reason I regenerated was because I took it out of her before she burnt up from the inside. The only problem now is… well, how did the TARDIS attract itself to you from such a distance?”

“You’ve no clue?”

“No… no I do not.” The Doctor looked baffled, completely transfixed. “I know everything about my ship, but I guess there’s more that I need to learn after all.”

Cindy couldn’t help but mention what the ‘fairy godmother’ told her. She didn’t want to bring it up. She only wanted to see him happy and wrap herself in his arms, but the curiosity got the best of her. “It… it mentioned how you were the happiest you’ve been in a while with me, the Rose version at least.” At this, the Doctor looked back at Cindy, his expression saddened yet held expectation. Eventually she was going to ask about his past. “Doctor, there’s so much I don’t know. Did something happen to you? Something dreadful?”

She noticed how disheartened he looked, and she regretted talking about it. Nevertheless, she wanted to comfort him like he did to her. She held his hand, rubbing it to assure him that he wasn’t going to suffer alone. “Let me help you, Doctor.”

Even in the moonlight, she saw the glimmer of hope in his eyes. His smile was disheartened as his mind relived the horrid memories, but inside the admiration for the girl he loved lifted his spirit and kept him going. Rose was always willing to help a person in need of help, even as a completely different human being.

The Doctor sighed, as though the air escaping from his lungs were the demons he locked in his chest. “I used to live on a planet called Gallifrey. There lived my race, the Time Lords. My TARDIS, and others like her, are time machines capable of going anywhere at any time in space, and it’s what I’ve been doing for far too long now. There was a war between my kind and a ruthless race called the Daleks… and, in the end, my race did not survive.”

“They killed everyone?”

He let out a small sigh. “There was a choice I had to make as a soldier: let the universe be destroyed, or my race and the Daleks. I chose the universe.”

The Doctor didn’t talk for much longer. He didn’t want to continue. It happened so long ago, but the pain and the anger, as well as hate, remained with him through the regenerations. He could still feel all the emotions run through his head as though it had happened yesterday.

Cindy took both of his hands, and she noticed how he didn’t move or respond to her touch. He was frightening her, simply because she saw that look of pure rage in his eyes. It was raw anger, and a type of anger that brought out the worst in everyone. As Cinderella, she has felt it a number of times whenever she was abused and neglected. She lost her entire family, too, and the more she learned how similar the Doctor’s past was to her own, it comforted yet pained her simultaneously.

“You’re not as alone as you think, Doctor. I know you’re the only Time Lord left, but… at least you surround yourself with people you care about, and who care about you the same way you do. I’m sure I’m not the only person you cared about other than your family. In all of your adventures and travels across the stars, you must have the largest family of all.” She gave a reassuring smile, feeling guilty for bringing up such a touchy subject. She was relieved to find that he looked back at her with his warm brown eyes, and they didn’t look as cold as they were before.

“Rose was the first companion I had after the war, you know,” he said, smiling softly. “I isolated myself for a while, but once she became my companion, things started to get a bit complicated.”

“You started liking her?” She leaned against his shoulder, hugging his arm. The Doctor felt Cindy grasp him, and he turned to face her with his eyes fixed on her face.

The warmth was visible all over his body, as if he was relaxed just by the thought of telling the story again. “She didn’t have to understand, or recollect. She was just there for me. Always forgave me, even though I didn’t deserve it. Made me smile when I was being a prat. I don’t know how or why—and it all happened so fast—but I started to...”

He paused, noticing how interested Cindy looked. He knew what she was thinking, and she knew that he was thinking it, too. Just the though of it made his hearts pound. “And you’re still her, Cindy… like I told you.”

Cindy shifted her gaze towards the ground and back at his eyes, feeling slightly bashful about the thoughts that circulated in her head. “Do you know if she, well… liked you back?”

“Oh, yes. It went without saying, really.”

Cindy couldn’t help herself, drifting ever closer to him. “Why not reciprocate?” Personal space was not a problem for them any more.

“I’m scared to. I’m scared about losing you—Rose—every single time we go on adventures, because some way or another you’re going to end up dead and it’ll be my fault. Feeling this way is dangerous for me, I can’t—”

He stopped in his tracks when she placed her hands on his cheeks. He felt one of his hearts in his throat, his stomach in knots. Again he felt the chemicals surge through him, and immediately he wanted them to go away.

 _I can’t get attached. I just_ cannot _do this._

If there was one thing Cindy knew he needed, it was reassurance. “Rose is _right here_ , Doctor. She’s been here the whole time,” she told him, using her thumbs to feel along his face. The Doctor, of course, didn’t break away. “You can tell her how you feel. She’s not going to leave you, not _ever_.”

He couldn’t ignore it, and the more he tried the more he failed. He’d been dying to have a peck, to feel her lips on his… on his Rose. He felt that fever return, and he could no longer bear it.

“Can I kiss you?” He didn’t know why he asked, but it felt appropriate for him to do so. They were so close now, their faces just inches apart. Softly and calmly he felt Cindy’s lips against his, and immediately his body relaxed at the contact as everything came together in an explosion of pleasure and relief. Cindy coursed her fingers in his hair, trailing her hands down his chest and across his shoulders as she let them dangle over his back.

As much as they didn’t want to, they broke apart for air, their foreheads touching. For no reason at all, they felt their faces grow hot as their smiles widened sheepishly, happy as ever. While quiet at first, their laughter quickly became hysterical as they once again connected with much more passion. For a few more moments they were completely and utterly lost, not getting enough of each other as though it were their last days to be alive. They continued to kiss until the large clock in the distance of the castle started to chime, echoing loudly across the forest they hid themselves in. Slowly, as the clock kept chiming, Cindy’s dress faded away along with the Doctor’s apprehension.


	8. Chapter 8

The clock in the distance chimed for the last time, catching the attention of Lady Tremaine and her daughters inside the ballroom. Desperately they try to push past all of the people in the crowded space, their faces fully exposed and their eyes flashing green. All of them were fighting amongst themselves as they bared their fangs and bit down on each other’s flesh. It didn’t take long for the majority to start falling to the ground and grasp each other’s feet in a desperate attempt to survive a minute longer.

The three women pushed past the angry crowd and headed outside to escape from the madness, knowing that if they stayed any longer they would eventually be attacked as well. And even so, with the clock striking midnight, they knew that Cindy’s time was up. What they saw outside near the garden, however, made them stop in their tracks. With a simultaneous gasp, they stood at the dried up riverbed, the bridge in shambles, and a dead body lying in mud.

“Mother… is that…?” Drizella said as her sister turned towards their mother, shock on their faces.

“It’s the Prince, dear,” Lady Tremaine said. She rubbed her hand against her black skin, stressed and on the verge of collapsing. She felt as though she was going to cry.

“But… but I thought that the others couldn’t interfere?” said Anastasia. “They must have escaped captivity.”

“They realized what we were doing. I tried to keep our plans out of sight from the rest of our population, but I knew that, eventually, they would realize that we’re keeping a potential meal away from them. If anything, most of them could have passed through our defenses and disguised themselves using basic codes, like the Prince.”

“Well at least he’s dead now,” said Drizella. “One less person to compete with.”

“Tell that to the other three hundred in the ballroom,” Anastasia added.

“They’re all so desperate,” Lady Tremaine said, snickering. “They’re too busy fighting to realize that the girl they sniffed out is beyond their reach. We have to move quickly; our device won’t last too much longer and the earthquakes tell us so.”

“Rose Tyler must have escaped,” said Drizella. “I don’t see her anywhere.”

“She looked like a frightened little soul while she danced with him, so it’s possible that she outsmarted him somehow,” Lady Tremaine said. “After all, he was the only one who managed to isolate himself and make a fair attempt at sucking the remaining energy we need to live.”

Anastasia focused her eyes on the other side of the small, shallow river with intense interest, spotting something shining in the moonlight. “What’s that on the other side?”

“What do you mean?” asked her sister.

“I see something bright and shining on the grass near the trees!”

Quickly they trailed through the mud and stepped out of the way of the crack, placing their feet on the grass and followed Anastasia to the items she saw. To their, the glass slippers were ripe for the picking.

“I’m so happy to see these stupid little things!” cried Anastasia, picking up one of the shoes with delicate hands.

“This means we could continue the story, right?” Drizella turned to her mother, hope on her face.

“We don’t know if the King is one of us or code, but if he is, then we are lucky. Very lucky. I’ll be sure to lock the crowd in that room, and out of starvation they will eventually kill themselves.”

“But… what about the Prince?” chimed Drizella. “He’s dead, so wouldn’t the code be unable to adapt the changes?”

“Not so. The device is capable of flexibility, after all. We have such control for a reason. He can lock her up for her most gruesome murder, for example.” Lady Tremaine eyed the Prince’s dead body near the crack, walking over to the dirtied pile of flesh that fell deep within the earth. Carefully she climbed down and shoveled in mud and dirt to make it easier to travel down the steep slope. Once she got close enough to the body, the alien’s black face and faded green irises were all wan and lifeless, as well as covered in grime. With what little power she had, Lady Tremaine placed her hands on top of the male creature’s head, morphing it back to the design intended for the story: black hair and a handsome, Greek-like face. Lady Tremaine’s daughters smiled as their mother glanced back up at them, a mischievous visage on her face. “Will you two be good daughters and spread the unfortunate news?”

* * *

“Cindy… Cindy, your dress!”

The Doctor’s voice as well as their ears interrupted the passion that they were sharing. Cindy looked down to find that the gown she once wore was replaced with the dull fabric of her maid’s outfit. She didn’t understand what happened, but she knew it had to do with the fairy godmother.

 _She never told me about_ this _!_

“How could this be?” she asked, more to herself than to the Doctor. The sadness in her tone was palpable.

The Doctor reassured her. “Usually in the Cinderella story, the fairy godmother tells her that the spell she gives to her will be broken at midnight. And according to the clock…” He turned towards the space between the trees, where the clock was clearly visible. “… It is three minutes past that. Wait a minute, why weren’t you given this information?”

“I don’t know! If I wrote the story then I’d wear that gown for months!” Cindy protested. “I mean, really? What point is it to take the gown away?”

“To hurry back home,” he said. “Because the moment the Prince sees you leave as the spell fails, he orders the Duke to desperately search the whole kingdom for the glass—” He suddenly paused, suddenly remembering the next turn of events. The Doctor looked at Cindy’s feet, only to see her barefoot with a few red cuts.

“Doctor…?”

“Cindy, where did you leave your shoes?”

“I… I took them off because they were hurting my feet.”

“Where?”

“Just outside the forest. Why? What’s so important about—”

The Doctor grasped her hand. “Follow me!” Yelping at his quick movements, Cindy ran alongside him as they entered the gaze of the moonlight, the dewed grass taking a bit of the pain away from Cindy’s sore toes. “Cindy… you shouldn’t have taken them off!”

“I’m assuming this has to do with the story?” Cindy sighed, her hand to her forehead out of realization.

“Yes! A single slipper is the only clue to the Prince since he never asked for your name. Searching around town requires the slipper, because the moment the slipper fits, you become his bride, which equals the end of the story; a happy ending, one that I know Lady Tremaine and the stepsisters plan to destroy.”

Pushing blonde hair away from her face, Cindy asked him, “And what could that be?”

“I don’t know, Cindy!” Cindy’s frustration was contagious. For a little while they stood in silence, contemplating on the events. The Doctor heaved a sigh, digging his hand in his hair as he looked back at the broken bridge, only to see evidence of the already wrecked scene being disturbed. “Oh, no…”

The Doctor jogged towards the edge of the bridge, walking carefully along what remained, and looked down the crack to find no trace of the Prince. His eyes widened as he reached his conclusion, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “No, no, no, no, NO!” He ran back to Cindy, holding her in his arms as she looked at him with scared eyes.

“Doctor, calm down! What’s wrong? Is it the Prince?”

“He’s gone. The body is gone!” he replied, a mix of anger and fear in his tone. “And I know who did it.”

Cindy’s eyes widened at the thought of Lady Tremaine picking up the Prince’s lifeless body and bringing it to the King, only to see his son deceased. She didn’t know if all of the ‘humans’ were actually aliens in disguise, but if they were following with the story, then she knew that with the power that the King had, it would surely mean the end of her.

“Doctor… are they trying to sentence me to a life in prison?”

“If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, then yes. That’s _exactly_ what they want. Granted, it’s not what they planned, but if they have such control over these events, then this event surely wouldn’t stop them from editing the story. You’ll live a life in that prison, and while they don’t have the luxury of making your life miserable, they will _cause_ your life to become miserable. They’ll be able to feed off of your anguish until—”

He drifted off, leaving Cindy in his arms. Cindy could sense something that disturbed him in his eyes, and proceeded to place her hands on his chest, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck to give him a bit more security. The Doctor could only imagine Cindy rotting away in a cell, grieving over the loss of the small life she had, depressed and alone. He pictured her withering and dying the older she got, as the aliens continued to gorge on her weakening life force… until poor Cindy could no longer wait for sleep.

“Are they going to kill me?” he heard Cindy ask, her voice quiet.

The Doctor’s eyes blazed with rekindled rage, not believing that their kind could resort to such barbarics. “They cause so much pain to their victims to the point in which those poor souls—” He felt a white-hot burning sensation in the pit of his stomach at the mere thought of it, one that made his adrenaline skyrocket. He never liked a vain death, despite wishing it upon himself many a time. He especially hated a vain death when the person who was responsible was the victim itself. Pushing the thought out of his mind before he spat out the answer to her question, he told her, “Right. Now… I think we ought to get back to the TARDIS. After several days my ship has probably healed up and will be able to make our escape!”

“What about the pictures and my identity?”

“It’s become too dangerous for you and for me. Right now they’re out there ready to make the most damning circumstance to keep you in their clutches. Not to mention that I have no method of stopping them. I’m sorry, Cindy, but we need to leave as fast as we can. I’ll tamper with the TARDIS; I’ll try to get your identity back through the picture we still have. Allons-y!” Cindy could hardly get a say before he was dragging her away from the horrid mess they made earlier. Even though he never answered her before, she sensed and had an idea of what he was reluctant to speak of. She didn’t blame him for changing the subject so rapidly. However, she couldn’t let him order her around.

“Doctor, we can’t go to the ship,” she protested, firmly planting her feet in the soil.

The Doctor kept pulling her arm, but knowing that she was too stubborn to budge he turned to her. “Why? You don’t want to go?”

“Of course I want to go!” Cindy said, exasperated. “Of all the things in the world that I would rather do, I would go with you to travel as far away from this place as possible. But don’t you see? If there’s one thing I’ve learned in these long days, is that I shouldn’t run away and hide!”

“Cindy, you’ll be at risk—”

“That’s the entire point, Doctor!” Cindy took his hands in hers. “Given the circumstances I would run away, but with my identify in their hands, I cannot risk leaving it behind and letting you give up on Rose.”

“I _never_ gave up on her,” the Doctor growled. “I just can’t stand the idea of you getting hurt again. It’s bad enough that the three are probably on our tails and will stop at nothing before they devour every last drop of your soul. Like I told you: I don’t know what these creatures are capable of and I need to keep you safe!”

“And you _have_ , Doctor… Believe me, I appreciate it _so_ much. You know that I adore all that you’ve given me, but I’m making a choice for my own future right now. Let me fight for this. All my life I’ve been stepped on and treated like a dog, and what did I do? I sat back and let them push me around like the mop I used to clean the floors with. For once, I’m not going to let opportunities slip away or let anyone stop me. I _am_ getting those pictures back, no matter what! And I sure as hell am not going to let fear get in the way of my future and freedom again.”

The Doctor ruffled his hair, pulling it back and letting it dangle in his face as he sighed. Cindy could only watch, standing in place defiantly, waiting for some kind of response.

Finally, with his hands on her shoulders, he said, “I can’t change your mind, Cindy… but if it means you do what’s right for you, then I’m willing to take those risks.”

Cindy smiled. “Thank you.”

“I _really_ don’t approve of it, though.”

A playful punch in the arm was Cindy’s response. “Well, tough, because I’m not leaving this place without those pictures in the hands of those gruesome monsters.”

Mockingly the Doctor put on a surprised expression, his lips forming an _O_. “Somebody’s a bit feisty!” Laughing, Cindy pulled her body closer to his, forgetting the fact that she no longer looked as beautiful as she did before midnight.

“You’re such a menace.”

“I do try.”

Gripping his hand, Cindy shyly asked, “Um… do you mind walking me home again? Considering it is past midnight and I need my beauty sleep?”

The Doctor let out a laugh. “It will be my pleasure.”

He didn’t want to voice it allowed, but deep down he wanted the walk back to the mansion to last an eternity. His steps were shorter and slower, almost in pace with Cindy’s shorter stature, and with her at his side he didn’t have a reason to walk at a faster pace. He felt like he was sacrificing her to the devil the closer he got to Lady Tremaine’s residence. Part of him told him to take her place, throwing every thought pertaining to common sense to the side and escape while they still could. Stubborn Cindy wouldn’t give in, which made him proud of her confidence yet scared of the consequences. They were already in deep enough trouble as it was, and the last thing the Doctor wanted was to bring her back directly to the same place that caused her so much harm.

Cindy was right, though. She needed to do this. Nevertheless, he made the most of his walk with Cindy’s warm hand in his as he let himself enjoy the little time he had left, even though he spent most of the night with her as it was.

Cindy gave him a short, passionate kiss goodnight and a hug before jogging back to the front door of the vacant house. The Doctor was left wanting more, leaning against a nearby tree with a sense of longing yet knowing he couldn’t run after her. She gave him a final smile at the door before shutting it behind her, leaving him in the darkness. The Doctor hardly slept that night.           


	9. Chapter 9

Even if the soil he stood on existed in an artificial environment filled with so many mysteries, the air that drifted through the Doctor’s hair managed to leave him in a trance. He stood outside the TARDIS, her health as palpable as the sky was clear that night. The Doctor could feel her humming on his back as he leaned against her, feeling all the more tranquil despite the anxiety that racked his brain. He fought the urge to sit on the grass and rest, because he knew he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep.

_Just a bit of courage and you can get it off your chest. Just a few words…_

He tried to push the thought aside. It was daft, and he knew it. Of all things to worry about, he was concerning himself with petty emotions that continue to confuse him and drive his actions more than it should. Again he grew frustrated at how bizarrely human he seemed in his current regeneration, partially wanting to change back just so he didn’t have to deal with his inner conflicts—if he had that choice, that is.

The fact that he let himself enjoy the experiences he had with her, with her soft pink lips against his, was an amazing feeling despite every doubt in his mind telling him that he didn’t deserve it. But, once more, he couldn’t help it. He kept imagining her smiling face the moment he would tell her the ‘secret’ that they both knew was true. Nevertheless, that was the problem: it was the fact that Rose would be happy about hearing his ‘secret’. It would mean that he would be happy, too… and that in itself was scary. The intoxicating, elated feeling that will fill his breast will eventually fade, zapping itself away before it could commence and blossom, because he knew that he wouldn’t get the chance to experience it for very long. His desire to take advantage of that one little moment between him and her was growing stronger the longer he and Rose kept meeting confidentially.

_You’ll regret it the moment you tell her no matter how tempting it is to risk it._

The Doctor breathed in and out through his nose as he tried to calm his hormone-ridden body down, trying hard to keep himself mentally stable, which was unfortunately another downfall of being in his recent reincarnation. After suddenly feeling drained, the Doctor turned his back to open the TARDIS doors. He felt it was best to rest in his bed rather than dwell in the air of another cool night.

He couldn’t even step inside before a firm pair of limbs caught him off guard. His face met the ground with a harsh thud as scrambling hands tried to bend his arms to his back in order to restrain him. The familiar voices that quarreled amongst themselves gave away their identities.

“I can’t believe he’s alive!” said one of them. Immediately, the creature began to shout. “Mother! Mother, he’s alive!” The Doctor knew that both of them at one time meant his doom. Even as he grunted and fought to get away, the both of them together proved too strong.

He felt dull thuds of approaching footsteps. Seeing Lady Tremaine run towards him in her full alien form sparked a whole new level of fear. Their species’ full form was intimidating and beast-like to say the least. The Doctor knew that he was definitely on the menu, even when Rose was their prime target. They might as well be opportunistic. Lady Tremaine managed to calm her daughters down as they picked the Doctor off the ground, holding him sternly in place as he fought for his life.

Lady Tremaine’s visage was that of shock and amazement. No one survived their venom, and the fact that the mysterious man in front of them was still breathing made her curiosity for him grow. “How…?” she said, her voice just above a whisper.

“Lady Tremaine! Please, just listen to me!” He knew he didn’t have much of a choice, but he had to convince them of his offer at least for one last time. He had to buy time to think of a plan.

Just hearing his voice made the elder female alien tense up and wash off her shock. She had more pressing matters to deal with. In this case she had her children’s hungry mouths to feed. “No, I will not accept your silly little peace treaty,” she replied hastily. “Why should I when we finally found the one thing that led us to dinner and a way out of this wasteland?” She turned around to see the TARDIS sitting on the hill peacefully, almost unaware of the Doctor’s predicament. She blinked her eyes a bit, before turning back to her confused offspring.

“This is it?” she barked.

“It’s a bit tiny,” the Doctor grinned, lying through his teeth as always.

Lady Tremaine grinned all the same. “It will do just fine as long as we get off this rock!” The Doctor could hear all three of their stomachs growling, though he didn’t know if he was just hearing things. Regardless, he knew that if they stepped inside it could mean the end. With little options for them, the desperate creatures didn’t care how small the opportunity, because if it got them away then they were home free.

A subtle peek inside the Doctor’s ship stopped the alien in her tracks as her offspring waited for her to enter. The golden light that escaped the TARDIS’s doors almost seemed welcoming, yet the aliens were in a state of shock and bewilderment at what stood before them. “Children… you won’t believe this…”

Lady Tremaine shoved her form through the doors as Anastasia and Drizella hesitantly stood just outside, the Doctor barely inches from the runway to the control panel. He sensed the daughters’ curiosity, and with them distracted he broke away, running into the TARDIS as fast as he could.

“Hey!” called one of them, racing inside the blue box in an effort to catch the Doctor. Before Lady Tremaine could even react to the situation, the Doctor was already at the control panel, flipping buttons every which way and that, startling the elder female at his speed. With one final swipe of a lever, the TARDIS abruptly hummed to life as lights dimmed ever so slightly, turning red and yellow in alarm. The doors to the ship closed suddenly, trapping everyone inside.

“Mother! Mother, what’s happening?!” Lady Tremaine looked at her frightened offspring before staring back at the Doctor, her eyes ablaze. The TARDIS suddenly ceased her rumbling while the lights remained red, the Doctor typing on his monitor before giving the intruders stern looks.

“Obviously you have no idea as to what this ship is capable of,” the Doctor told them, the room dead silent. “Right now I have the TARDIS at full defense mode, and if you dare to even _touch_ her you will be eradicated on spot.”

Lady Tremaine, feeling foolish, gave the Doctor a snarling hiss as her offspring drifted back to her side. She was in no mood to back down when they were close enough to take control of the situation. “You talk of this box as though it has feelings.”

“That’s because she does, Tremaine,” the Doctor said. His eyes remained cold, his patience lost. “She is a living thing who is more than the eye can see. And she doesn’t like how you came in uninvited.” As if to respond to his warnings, the TARDIS once again rumbled slightly as Anastasia and Drizella huddled closer to their mother out of fear. Lady Tremaine could only look upon the ship she stood inside, confused and trying to think fast. She had underestimated the little blue box that she thought was harmless and small. So easy was it for her to enter its weakened defenses yet at full power it was a monster.

However, she pondered the TARDIS’s state as the Doctor moved towards the walkway, his back still against the control panel. Lady Tremaine let a small grin show on her visage, her offspring sensing their mother’s ease and stood up beside her.

The Doctor growled, “If you think you can just barge in here and take control of a ship this powerful, let alone _drive_ it, then you are wrong! She is more important than anything you have ever known on your planet and one false move can destroy all of time itself. Are you this desperate that you are willing to risk the sake of creation for your own selfish desires?”

Drizella and Anastasia suddenly stepped forward, realization on their faces as the thought of the Oncoming Storm droned in their heads, noting the Doctor’s use of words as though he were a god. “Time Lord,” one of them said.

“What?” Lady Tremaine said, bewildered.

“He’s a Time Lord, Mother,” said Anastasia, a look of disbelief on her face. “I remember now. The race that was thought to have gone extinct… yet one lone man made it out. This is he!”

Lady Tremaine stared back at the Doctor as puzzle pieces started to fit together. “Now I understand…” she spoke, her smile ever wider. “So rare… and yet so _valuable_.”

The Doctor still stood defiantly, standing his ground yet not liking the way Lady Tremaine was looking at him. He grew leery.

“I remember how Gallifreyians used to be the most powerful beings in the known universe before their planet was destroyed,” Lady Tremaine explained. “… And to think that only one made it out alive.” Anastasia and Drizella picked up on what their mother was hinting at. To the Doctor, they almost looked like baby birds in a nest, hollering and chirping nonstop for food, only that the creatures in front of him were more dangerous by far.

“Can we have a taste of him, Mother?” asked Drizella, her eyes begging.

Lady Tremaine looked at her children lovingly before giving the Doctor a mischievous grin. “Oh, sweetheart, I think the Doctor is _much_ more important than that.”

As quick as lightning she was grasping the Doctor, who by now was full of adrenaline. Two pairs of arms made it easy for Lady Tremaine to do multiple tasks, and with one pair able to grip him close to her body, the other pair was free to do whatever she wanted. Lady Tremaine couldn’t resist a taste of him, and invited her daughters to devour his energy as they placed their hands on the Doctor’s head. The Doctor suddenly screamed in pain, feeling them go through his mind and tug at every memory, every single thought that caused him misery, and feasting on the agony of his experiences. What made it worse was that he could see and remember every memory pass in his consciousness the longer they raided. It felt like he was reliving them the day it happened.

The Doctor couldn’t believe that it was this easy for them to feed off of their victims, but his ship, as beautiful as it was, was a death trap. Rose didn’t stand a chance against what kind of creative things they could do, and he was thankful that they were clueless about how to actually use his TARDIS. Unfortunately for Rose, time was running out. Finishing the story might be more dangerous than he anticipated.

After what felt like an eternity they let his mind go free, feeling content after using him as a light snack. His body felt emotionally and physically fatigued, but he was alive.

Lady Tremaine lifted her head up, looking around the control room and smiling triumphantly. “Well, go on, box. Destroy me if you’re as powerful as he says! Go on, then! I’m waiting!” The Doctor felt the TARDIS shake angrily as lights began to flicker once again. The TARDIS stopped after a brief few seconds as Lady Tremaine waited, knowing what was going to happen next. “What’s the matter?” she mocked. Silence followed. Lady Tremaine began to laugh lightly, then boisterously as the Doctor looked at the control panel longingly.

_C’mon, old girl._

“You can’t kill me,” she said to the TARDIS. “I have the Time Lord, and there’s nothing you can do is there?” She gripped the Doctor closer to her body, knowing full well that the TARDIS won’t do anything to her when the Doctor was standing in her path. “Being the last comes at a price, doesn’t it?”

Ever so slowly, the Doctor felt the rumbling beneath his feet and the red lights dim, cussing to himself as the room went back to its original format. Unless there was an inescapable problem with the TARDIS or a self-destruct put in place by the Doctor himself, he knew she wouldn’t singe a hair on his head, even if the enemy were in the room.

Lady Tremaine’s massive head bent down to the Doctor’s eye level. A toothy grin formed on her lips, liking the feeling of her prey’s two hearts beat rapidly under her hands. “Now that we’re on the same page, _Time Lord_ , I suggest you start pressing a few buttons.”

* * *

Cindy expected the rest of her family to be back at a later time, knowing that the Ball was going to last long into the next morning. As tired as she was, she still told herself to at least sweep the stairs and tidy things up. Old habits died hard. After living all of her life as a maid, it was hard for her to shake the concept of ‘doing nothing’. Even so, she was able to keep her mind clear of any stress. Thinking about her lovely night with the Doctor helped with her fears, and she wished she got the opportunity to have a dance with him, if only for a few minutes.

_Yet I get an alien Prince chasing after me instead._

She suddenly froze at an unusual sound coming from nowhere in particular, looking around the room to pinpoint where it was coming from. She couldn’t describe exactly what it was, but it was a strange sound that she couldn’t describe through words. From out of thin air, she noticed a large blue box slowly materialize in front of the doors, the box fading in and out slowly. It wasn’t until the blue box stood before her, the sound ceased, did she realize who was responsible for the event.

"Doctor?” she questioned to herself, feeling giddy as butterflies filled her chest, a wide grin forming on her lips. Was he really willing to take her home this soon, despite how much she protested? It had been mere hours since they last saw each other, yet she ran to the box as though she hadn’t seen him in a lifetime.

The door to the TARDIS opened from the inside, but instead of the Doctor, Cindy saw a face she never wanted to see again. Lady Tremaine’s head poked out of the door as she used one of her hands to open the second door, allowing more room for her offspring to exit. Cindy halted so fast that she almost fell down on her bum, a look of pure horror on her face at the sight before her. In Tremaine’s second pair of limbs, her talons clutching the Doctor’s form. He was still conscious, but appeared too fatigued to fight back. Whatever they did to him, it weakened him significantly to the point in which he could hardly grapple with the creature’s nimble fingers.

“Hello, my dear,” Lady Tremaine purred, her expression arrogant. “I’m glad you made it home from the Ball in one piece. After all, that bridge you tumbled over was quite the scare, don’t you think?”

Anger boiled white hot in Cindy’s stomach at the sight before her. Instead of cowering, like she instinctually did, she decided to take a step forward in the Doctor’s defense. She gulped down her fear despite how much she trembled, walking towards the monster and looking directly in its eyes. “You can take away everything that is sentimental and meaningful to me, but if you harm another hair on his head then I’ll make sure that you’ll never be able to get what you want from me!”

All three of the aliens barked out a good laugh, but Cindy remained defiant, her expression stern. Lady Tremaine was the first to stop laughing and answer her seriously. “You self-righteous wench! What makes you think you’re not going to do as we say? You’re powerless and weak to do anything about it!”

Cindy’s expression remained hard. “Oh yeah? If I’m so weak, then how am I able to fight back for this long? How did you think I managed to get past all of the abuse and torture you put me through and still make it out? No matter how hard you try, I _will_ keep fighting until—”

It didn’t take long for Anastasia and Drizella to come up behind Cindy, bite down on her neck, and letting her fall in an unconscious slumber on the ground.

“Shut up!” Anastasia snickered.

The Doctor, while drained, was determined and was slowly regaining strength after the ordeal he had faced in his TARDIS. He tried to break free of Lady Tremaine’s claws, but it too was in vain.

“Quit wriggling, worm,” she spat at him, turning back to her daughters as she drained him ever so slightly, enough to keep him quiet. “Daughters, let me have the wench. We still need her in good health for tomorrow when the Duke and his men arrive at the door. You know what will go down: they will search the entire town for the murderer.” She looked back at the Doctor, who was still trying, and failing, at getting himself free. Lady Tremaine’s grin widened and turned to her eager daughters. “Have a light snack, my dears.”

Both siblings ran up to her second pair of arms eagerly. Lady Tremaine instantly halted their advances. “Remember to keep him _alive_! Nibble on him if you would like, but do not drain him to the point of collapse. We need him to make our escape. Keep him out of sight.” She loosened her grip as her daughters used their own alien limbs to drag the Doctor away. The Doctor was still alive and helpless to the situation, and even as he did struggle, the two sisters had proven to be too strong for him.

He shut his eyes, fatigue overtaking him as the siblings drained his energy bit by bit. He hoped that resting would help him recharge and come up with another plan. The area around him grew dark as he fell in and out of consciousness, and he didn’t have the slightest idea where he was being taken.

The Doctor knew it was time for them to face the wrath of the last Time Lord. Enough was enough. He had showed them enough mercy. He knew that the ignorant alien race unbeknownst to him would face the Oncoming Storm with a powerful vengeance.      

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaannnddd there we have it! All 9 chapters posted now. Whew! Took ages but the deed is done. I'm not sure when I'll have the final chapters completed but I really hope I can do so soon. I was pretty close to the end when I initially stopped working on this so there shouldn't be that much else to consider here. It's basically just the main climax and the resolution (and more 10/Rose. Because 10/Rose). Other than that, thanks for reading! :D


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for not updating sooner since my last note. I was on vacation with my family and finally got around to finishing this chapter on the plane ride home (all 9 hours; fuck me). Enjoy!

The Doctor fell in and out of consciousness as he was dragged down to an unknown, dark space hidden from the rest of the house. He felt stuck in a dreamless haze, trying to gather his strength in a temporary healing coma. Unlike his regeneration sickness, the draining of energy wasn’t drastic enough to keep him bed-bound for a significant period of time. Regardless he was still conscious and aware of his surroundings. He didn’t risk opening his eyes, not when his enemies could easily kill him if they so choose.

“How is he?” he heard one of the stepsisters say to the other.

“Alive,” the other responded.

“Good. The others may have escaped but at least he’s still loyal,” the first said coldly. They snickered to themselves, the sound of a door opening interrupting the Doctor’s need to focus on their conversation. With a harsh thud, he grunted as he felt his body connect with the ground, the door shutting with a loud slam. The sound of a lock switched into place, imprisoning the Time Lord with whatever company lay beyond.

He waited patiently for any sound to come, but there was none. Was he alone? He regained full consciousness, the partial healing incomplete but it was enough to keep himself steady on his feet. He sat up in a sitting position, fatigue palpable as he tried his best to keep awake. The room barely had any light, though his superior biology did its best to see through it. Despite the darkness, the room was surprisingly spacious, though quiet. Too quiet.

The Doctor quickly dusted himself off and got to his feet, swaying a tad but was otherwise okay and prepared to come up with an escape plan. He thankfully still had his sonic, and felt his way along the wall to find the door. But his foot collided with something else.

A guttural growl penetrated the silence, and the Doctor jumped, nearly falling back to the floor. Through the dark he saw a darker shape move, the clanging of chains the indication of a prisoner trapped here. The shape was familiar.

Before another thought could come to him, talons grabbed him. He knew the grip. It was one of _them_.

“ _You_ did this! This is _your_ fault!” it shouted, its voice male. Two of its six limbs prepared itself to drain whatever energy the Doctor had left, but the Doctor anticipated the attack.

“Please, no! I can help! I’m here to help!” he cried out. He screamed when the male tore through his memories, each time more painful than the last. It was then the male dropped him hastily, a look of realization in its mind. The Doctor lay panting; grunting as the pain slowly ebbed away yet lingered as a headache. Trying to see past his blurry vision, he got out his sonic once again, illuminating the end like a torch. The beast shrieked in horror, turning its bulk away from the sudden onslaught of light.

“Doctor…” the male said quietly, his features tentative, almost confused.

"How do you know my name?”

“They speak of you. I sense their thoughts. Time Lords… you’re the last.”

The Doctor stood still, trying to contemplate how he could know so much, considering his imprisonment. Had he been down here all this time? How long has it been for him?

The Doctor shook his head. “I don’t understand. Who are you? Where are we? How did you get here?”

The male, despite his hesitation, snatched the sonic from his fingers and pointed it at his surroundings. The Doctor’s blood ran cold.

The room wasn’t empty. It was filled with cages. Open cages.

"Rassalion… they’re gone.”

The memory of the ballroom hit him like a tidal wave. All of those sentient beings… dying.

 _They all came from here. But_ how _?_

“I… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

It was then the large male dropped the sonic like a toy, the light making his features more terrifying. He approached the Doctor, his eyes calculating. “Why did you come here?” He grabbed his shirt, aggression in his gaze. “ _Why_ are you the last? The Time Lords are gone. Yet you remain.”

The Doctor stood defiant. “The big question is, why are you here when all of those souls escaped?”

The male’s gaze suddenly saddened, and the Doctor wondered where he fit. He felt that there had to be more to this fellow.

“Their binds are weak. I was meant to stay here. But they fought against the restrains and ran free without me. I heard them across the land. They were ravenous. They wanted food. And I can sense it, too… I _want_ it.”

The last thing the Doctor needed was another sentient after Rose. His gaze hardened. “Don’t you dare! I’m here for _her_. She was put here by your kind and it ends now. Why have your kind done this? Answer me!”

The male hissed, his eyes glowing green. “My kin are only doing what is necessary to keep them alive! I’m too weak for them now. They searched for another because I am no longer an asset. I’m surprised they haven’t killed me yet.”

“Finding alien crafts and devouring their souls doesn’t excuse—wait, hold on, did you say _my kin_?”

The male’s expression suddenly saddened. “My mother and sisters. They betrayed me. I… I disagreed, Doctor. I didn’t want to do it, either, but when I refused they put me here and—”

“They fed off of you, didn’t they? For as long as they could.” The Doctor’s expression held no emotion, just a hard, unmerciful stare at nothing. “They tossed their own flesh and blood into a dungeon, rotting with the rest.”

The Doctor’s summary made the male loosen his grip on the Time Lord, shrinking away to a corner, his chains clanging. The male refused to look at him, the Doctor feeling wrong for saying such words when they were probably a painful reminder of the cruelty of his family.

Tentatively, the Doctor moved towards the male’s bulk, placing a hand on his massive shoulder and tried to send waves of empathy into him. “What’s your name?” he asked.    

“Pstu’ra,” the male replied, his voice meek.

The Doctor only nodded. “Why did they put you here? Why were any of you put here, while they’re above ground?”

It was then that Pstu’ra stood up on his hind legs, his height passing the Doctor by feet. He walked over to another spot in the dark not illuminated by the sonic, only to stop abruptly. Pstu’ra hissed, tugging on the chains and roaring defiantly.

“Hold on, hold on, big fella,” the Doctor spoke up in an attempt to calm him down, grabbing his sonic and feeling along the wall for the bolts. As quick as he got there, he sonic-ed the chains off, the metal clanging to the ground as he got to work unlatching the restrains from Pstu’ra’s ankles.

“Bless you,” he heard him say, so quiet he almost missed it. Continuing on his way, Pstu’ra felt something in the middle of the room, his eyes more acute than the Doctor’s as a switch was flipped. The room suddenly came to life as a blue and brown haze filled the space. The horrors of the location were now visible, making the Doctor’s hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The cages were small, barely big enough to sustain someone as large as Pstu’ra, though he was not in a cell when he found him. The others, however, were.

_Clearly his family wanted better access if they ever needed a nibble._

The Doctor’s fists tightened at this realization.

Pstu’ra’s source of light came from a tall machine, very much like the Time Vortex in his TARDIS: long, reaching the ceiling, and filled with bits and bobs in every which way and that. The Doctor was fascinated but he had better things to do. Crackles of energy filled this device, and he wondered where it came from.

“We live for centuries, Doctor,” Pstu’ra spoke. “Much like you. But we’ve long changed since then. We used to look so different, so many millions upon thousands of years ago. We were a peaceful race.”

There was a pause. “But… but then there was the Time War.”

Pstu’ra nodded. “We weren’t technologically advanced, not really. The war thrust us into an industrial age. We had no choice if we had a fighting chance. I remember stories of the Daleks coming, just a handful wiping out my kind. It was mad. Our bodies changed in response to how our world changed. No longer were we capable of any of our customs once the war began. And now we are this.

“Centuries later, come my time, my family was among the higher ruling dynasties. We may be beasts to you, Doctor, but we still held standards. My family… they were greedy. When the war finally ceased, our resources were vastly depleted. We hardly had enough to feed the billions we used to have. We… we fed off of each other’s life force. The war had made us so desperate, so miserable; we sacrificed life over death, only to receive death either way.”

The Doctor’s eyes suddenly popped from his skull. “Pstu’ra… my god, I never even wondered! What are you?”

Pstu’ra focused his green irises at the Doctor’s sadness and defeat plain to see. “We are what is left of the Y’ohona.”

“The Y’ohona, of course!” the Doctor shouted, his hands in his hair. “Stupid, stupid, Doctor!” Pstu’ra’s stood there bewildered at the Time Lord’s manic actions. “That’s right, your kind were telepathic! Sentient! You don’t rely on physical food to eat. You use the energy within each of you to fuel yourselves. If you lot are steeped in death and misery and sorrow for too long, you starve. I don’t know how you managed to survive for this long after the devastation the war brought to your planet, Pstu’ra, but I give you my greatest apologies. What’s going on now… it shouldn’t have happened.”

“We wouldn’t have survived… if it hadn’t been for this,” Pstu’ra said, pointing to the machine. “My family developed it. Revolutionized the way our energy could be collected. We were all in a depression. But this… this helped us. We activated it, and it was designed to change brain waves. To make us happy again. So we could _live_ again.

“My family wanted too much. The little resources we had on our planet were put into building thousands of these machines, fueling us, only for them to die so soon because our planet was beyond repair. So my family used it for more… nefarious purposes.

“I learned of their plan. They were so desperate to feed off of energy, to regain enough strength that could not be found here since our machines cost too much, that they stole ships from space; put them into fantasy worlds where they were constantly miserable, going insane. I watched hundreds of lives drained from them, just so they could gorge. I… I feel ashamed to admit that I have done the same, just to keep myself alive. My conscience got the better of me, Doctor. I told on them, like a child. I used my high position of power, as part of a ruling family dynasty to tell the nation without them knowing. Needless to say, our small population was outraged. My family was, too.

“They enjoyed the pain. They feasted on the pain of others, for it fueled them more than happiness could. No one would get in their way. Survival of the fittest. We’ve been down here for so long we forgot what sunlight felt like. My kind, we nearly starved. We held on the best we could but it was no use, not when we had little hope. So they caved. They dealt with having to feast on each other’s misery. So many died, just here in their cells, while my family went above ground, eating people from the inside out so they could keep their little dynasty going, to keep their place in society afloat when it has long been gone. When nothing was found in space, they came back, feasting on my kind and me; children, elders; the strong, the weak; it didn’t matter.

“I was a traitor. They kept me as a favorite, not even bothering to put me in an eternal state of damnation when the thought of my own family eating my soul was enough to keep them wanting more. That’s why I’m here, Doctor. I’m their little play thing.”

“They were all down here in the dark… just so our friends upstairs could get their kicks? Is that what I’m understanding?” The Doctor’s tone was icy.

Pstu’ra nodded once. He was warming up the Doctor’s concealed rage. They had something in common.

“You helped them revolt.”

Pstu’ra smiled, the first one he’s seen on an Y’ohona’s face. “I urged them to leave. They were terrified of my family, afraid they would continuously eat them instead. Cannibalism was common. So I told them to go, for they were strong enough to break their bonds but hadn’t due to fear. So they set out at last, hoping to find the food my family found and use that as a means to live. I felt every last light flicker from their eyes above me, from what I could assume was the ballroom. I’m aware of the story they created above ground, one not familiar to our culture but was a good a candidate as any to keep their victim perpetually miserable.”

The Doctor turned his eyes to the machine, coming towards it and examining it. It impressed him; it was the one creating this madness, the perceived reality Rose had to suffer through just for Tremaine and her daughters to reek havoc on her. His blood boiled.

Pstu’ra saw the raw determination in the Time Lord’s eyes, feeling suddenly ashamed for insulting him earlier. “I know it wasn’t your fault for the war, Doctor. I’ve felt your presence and knew they still lived, even when my family doubted. But now, after everything… I just felt—”

“I know. I know.”

It was silent for a bit, each too afraid to say anything else as death reeked around them like a rotting, stinking corpse. The Doctor recognized a few buttons and keys, and pressed a common command sequence. The screen in front of him came to life, the Y’ohona language translated to English thanks to the TARDIS. Pstu’ra’s body language stood to attention, suddenly curious.

“What are you doing? Don’t touch it, you might disrupt the coding!”

“Coding? As in… like website coding?”

“I’m unsure of what a website is, but it is a plethora of commands, all designed and typed in a specific format to create a tangible image to mimic one’s surroundings. This is how they create the worlds for others to bask in. The machines use the planet’s activities near the mantle, generating energy from there. Which is why you should not touch it. This world would crumble, and everything with it!”

“Aaahhh, but Pstu’ra, isn’t that what we want for this desolate rock?” the Doctor smirked, his fingers going to work as he dug into the guts of the machine. Scrolling through pages of code, he immediately came across what he was looking for: a timed destruct command.

“What are you doing?” Pstu’ra said urgently. He was about to get the Doctor away from the machine when the device suddenly chirped in response to the Doctor’s quick fingers. Pstu’ra approached the machine, seeing the code even he couldn’t decipher, yet seemed all too familiar to the Doctor.

“Piece of cake,” the Doctor said proudly. The equivalent to the enter button was pressed after countless more typing:

 

            >>> ** _activate destruct command? Y/N _;_**

**_*WARNING: will lose valuable data_;_ **

**_ >>>Y_;_ **

**_ >>>destruct_;_ **

**_ >>>deactivate device #adb4832? Y/N _;_ **

**_ >>>Y_;_ **

**_ >>>enter_;_ **

**_ >>>commencing_; _** 

                

The Doctor pressed enter again, despite Pstu’ra hissing in annoyance. “What are you doing? Do that and you’ll destabilize the current reality!”

“Precisely.”

“WHAT?”

 

            >>> ** _allotted time until shutdown _30m30s30mi_;_**

**_*CHANGE? Y/N_;_ **

**_ >>>Y_;_ **

**_ >>>60m0s0mi_;_ **

**_ >>>enter_;_ **

**_ >>>countdown begins_;_ **

****

“You _fool_!”

The Doctor smirked, his sonic in hand. “No time for that, Pstu’ra. I’m the Doctor, and if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s fighting _against_ time. I’ve got an hour to escape this reality before it removes itself into atoms, all the while getting back to my TARDIS and getting out of here. Meanwhile, your greedy family will suffer as this machine will self destruct along with this little fantasy world it made. And you’re coming with me.”

“I… I don’t—”

“No need to thank me yet. I’ve got my companion to save.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not as long as you would guys probably like, but this was just a chapter to set things in motion. I wanted this story to be 12 chapters because even numbers are cool so the next part is going to be the climax and the final being the resolution. That's my plan at least! I pray to god I can complete this before I go away to college but eh, if I don't, you'll still hate me anyway lmao


End file.
